By HAILEY CHAPMAN
It was a pivotal seventh inning for the Hays Larks on Tuesday night in their final regular season competition against the Dodge City A’s. Trailing 4-3, the Larks were able to push across four runs, alongside two shutout innings from closing pitcher Tommy Garcia, to claim a 7-4 win.
Garcia threw the final innings and did not allow a single run to secure the victory and earn a win for himself on the mound. Starting pitcher Drew Marrufo was charged with all four Dodge City runs in his seven innings of work.
At the plate, Alex Strachan led the force with a three-run home run in his 2-for-4 performance. Jarrod Belbin was 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI, while George Southerland and Jimmy Deleon added two additional RBI’s.
Though they came out victorious, the Larks committed five errors, a season high. The A’s nearly matched the Larks with three errors of their own.
The Larks ended their regular season with a record of 29-8, keeping them at the top of the Jayhawk West Division. The Liberal Bee Jays are hot on their heels with a record of 24-12, though their head-to-head record has Liberal ahead with five wins and the Larks with only three.
The Dodge City A’s have proven less of a threat to the Larks with a record of 22-13, and a head-to-head record of six wins in seven games for Hays.
If the Bee Jays fall in one or both contests to Liberal, the Larks will advance to the National Baseball Congress World Series. If the Bee Jays were to take both contests, it would force a tiebreaker where Liberal has the advantage. This would put the Larks in a four-team tournament with Wellington, McPherson and Dodge City, where the teams will fight for the final spot in the NBC World Series.
Manager Frank Leo commented that injuries have proven detrimental to the line-up, leaving them with only 17 active players. Through the adversity, however, the Larks have managed to keep a winning record and proven themselves dominant at the plate and in pressure situations.