By RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
The Hays Larks tied with the Kansas Cannons 5-5 via non-league rules in their second home game of the 2025 season at Larks Park on Tuesday. The Larks outhit the Cannons by three and scored early in the first inning with a run by outfielder Trent Baker, but were unable to hold off consistent offense from the Augusta-based team.
Outfielder Lane Sparks high fives his teammates during introductions. 
Keevyn Goss pitched the first four innings and produced seven strike outs. 
Outfielder Trent Baker slides into second. 
Baker rounds second. 
Infielder Taber Stokes catches a Cannon ball. 
Stokes throws to first. 
Stokes races against being tagged out after leading off first. 
Lorenzo Rios catches a pitch. 
Rios speaks with Broxton Bjur. 
Brady Kreutzer sports the home run hat after hitting a solo homer into left field. 
Sparks tips his hat to his cheering teammates after taking second. 
The Larks tied with the Cannons 5-5 after a full nine innings.
The Larks earned three more runs, including two from designated hitter Brady Kreutzer and one from outfielder Lane Sparks.
“Offensively, when you get that many hits, we should be able to get more runs than we did,” said Larks Head Coach Frank Leo. “We hit some clutch hits early in the game but we sped it up a little bit in the bottom of the ninth when we should slow it down and get more patient at the plate. We got work in, and that’s important. We’ve got nobody hurt tonight, and that’s really important after losing Ray Jesse the other night.”
Keevyn Goss pitched the majority of the game, earning seven strikeouts while allowing two hits and one run before retiring in the fourth.
“We knew pitching-wise, we were in a bind,” Leo said. “Keevyn gave us some length, and he gave us four innings, and after that, it was going to be position guys, who I thought did well. We had to rotate defenses, and every time we did that, [Jackson] Babcock had a nice outing, and so did Sparky (Sparks).”
Kreutzer hit a solo home run into left field at the bottom of the sixth.
“It was cool,” he said. “As a hometown kid, you always dream about playing for the Larks, and for that to be my first hit was a surreal moment. It was awesome, but I need to put in some work and get better since this was my first game in a month and I’m a bit rusty.”
Kreutzer noted how the Cannons’ performance made it difficult for the Larks.
“They were scrappy,” he said. “Traditionally, they’re a good club, and they showed that tonight.”
While the game did not result in a loss for the Larks, the tie does not alleviate their pain of defeat.
“You always want wins,” Leo said. “Tying’s no fun, but where we are at this point, guys not ready to throw yet and still coming in, I’m pleased with what happened.”
The Larks’ next home game will be against the Denver Cougars at 7 p.m. on Friday.