By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Kelton Rule often swung at the first pitch in the count, while Logan Downing wanted to work deeper in the at-bat and see more pitches. The two approaches have produced big nights and strong summers, so far, for the Hays Legion duo.

Rule and Downing, the top two hitters for the Eagles, helped Hays split a home doubleheader with Great Bend on Monday night at Larks Park. The Eagles lost the first game, 7-6, and run-ruled the Chiefs 11-2 in five innings in Game 2. Rule went 6-for-6 with a walk, a homer, a double, six RBIs and four runs scored.

"My first pitch just looked good, I guess, and I took what they gave me and I used it," Rule said. "I didn't really want to go deep in the count."

Downing, who also delivered six strong innings in a Game 1 loss, reached base five times in seven plate appearances, including a double and an inside-the-park homer in Game 2. Downing said he hadn't hit an inside-the-park homer "in a long time."

"I think pitching machine was the last one of them," he said with a smile.

Matt Malott and Jay Sanders each contributed four hits, including three extra base hits for Sanders, and helped Hays score its most runs in back-to-back games since June 6 and 7. Hays, which has had a roster in flux all summer, moved to 1-5 at home and 9-12-1 overall.

"We have to put it all together," head coach Mike Jenner said. "We just have to fine tune. I think (Game 2) we made one error. Pitching was decent. The hitting was there. That is what we have got to do all the time. So far this summer, we haven't gotten everything together too often."

The Eagles, sometimes with nine and 10 players on the roster, recently added Travis Budke and Justin Klaus. The two played their first games in nearly a year Monday.

Budke, last year's starting third baseman, wrestled for Pratt Community College this winter. Klaus, the second baseman in 2008, was a college student.

Budke finished 1-for-5 with a walk, while Klaus went 0-for-4 with two walks. Austin Unrein, who played with the Eagles during the week all summer, did not play Monday and could be done for the summer. Jarrett Sanders and Brett Bieberle are both hurt and likely will return in mid-July.

"Fielding-wise, they are going to get better," Jenner said of the reinforcements. "I will be real happy if they are back to full speed by the zone tournament. Anytime sooner is going to be even better for us."

"They give us so many more options to work with," Rule added.

Rule and Downing supplied much of the offense Monday. Rule, the cleanup hitter, delivered a walk and an RBI single in his first two at-bats.

Down 5-1 in the fifth, Rule keyed a three-run fifth when he hit a two-run double to right center on the first pitch.

Downing, hitting fifth, followed with an RBI double to left-center. Great Bend tacked on two runs in the sixth off a two-run inside-the-park homer from Chiefs leadoff hitter Logan Lueunberger. Overall, Downing (1-2), who moved to sidearm after experiencing shoulder problems in the spring, worked six-plus innings after he tossed seven versus Salina last week.

"Over the top, my ball was just straight," he said. "My ball movement is better as a sidearm. It's been working well for me, and I am really comfortable with it. I think I am going to stick with it and mix it up here and there."

Down 7-4 in the seventh, Hays scored two runs and had the tying run at second before Tanner Willhoft grounded out to end the contest.

In the first inning of Game 2, Rule, playing shortstop, aggravated a foot injury when he fielded a ground ball in the hole. The game stopped for several minutes as Rule recovered.

"It will be fine," Rule said. "I just rolled it just going down and my heel is bothering me a little bit, but it will be fine."

A few minutes later, Rule gave Hays a 2-0 lead when he crushed a first pitch fastball over the left-center field fence for his second homer of the summer. Rule, a first team all-state player during the spring, has two homers and carries a team-best .508 average (32-for-63). Rule singled and scored in the third and then lined an RBI single in the a four-run fourth to support starter Jesse Hart (2-3).

"They know what I like to hit and what I don't like to hit," he said. "We have played them a lot, too many times almost. I just took what they gave me and I did well."

Downing, who ranks second on the club in batting at .438 and leads the team with nine doubles, has changed his approach throughout the summer. At the start of the summer, he often swung early.

"I was first pitch fastball and I was going to swing, and I did all right the first couple of tournaments," he said. "I hit weak ground balls because I wouldn't be ready."

Then, Jenner used Riley Kaus (.385 average) has an example of getting deep in the count and working the pitcher.

"I just kind of let the first pitch go and then pick up what I could about the next couple of pitches," Downing said. "Earlier in the season, especially in the Great Bend tournament, he would always be like two strikes in and he would find a way to get a hit because they would come with a strike to get you. (I thought) 'Hey I should start doing that' and it's been helping me."

The approach worked in the fourth. Downing hit his team-best third homer when he launched a pitch to deep center that bounced off the centerfield fence. At first, Downing thought it was a homer.

"I don't hit very many," he said. "I thought it might have actually cleared. We were taught to sprint to first base after the last couple of games. I saw it hit the wall and just took off."

The Eagles will host their the eight-team Wild West tournament this weekend at Larks Park and Hays High School. Hays will play at 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday.