BY HAILEY CHAPMAN
Rivals Liberal and Hays have proven that each meetup they have on the diamond will keep fans on the edge of their seats. There was no difference in Monday night’s game as the Larks battled for 10 innings, falling by one run, 5-4.
The Bee Jays were the first to strike in the third inning with three runs off starting pitcher Tommy Garcia. Garcia threw a strong six innings, allowing only three runs in the third on four hits. Only one of the three runs, however, was earned. Garcia walked one and struck out six.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Larks tacked on three runs of their own, followed by a run in the seventh to take the lead.
Liberal fought back in the ninth to tie it. With the game on the line in the bottom of the ninth, the Larks were unable to push anything across. They went into the 10th inning, where they faced a bit of deja vu when Liberal pulled across another lone run to gain the lead.
In their final opportunity at the plate, the Larks came up short and split the series.
Leaders at the plate included Alex Strachen (3-for-4, 2RBI), George Southerland (1-for-5, RBI) and Hernan Yanez (1-for-2). The Larks pulled together 10 hits on the night.
Losing pitcher on the night was Drew Marrufo, who threw the final two innings and allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts. Wyatt Divis threw two innings on the night, giving up one run on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts.
The Larks are back in action Thursday night against the Heat in Wellington.