Legion commits errors, still beats Great Bend
By NICK McQUEEN
In most doubleheaders through the summer, three errors are going to come back to hurt you in a matchup of state caliber baseball teams.
Fortunately for coach Mike Jenner and the Hays Legion baseball team, the Eagles were able to make up for it in other areas of the game -- and they got a few errors from one of their biggest rivals -- in a sweep of Great Bend Monday night at Larks Park.
Entering the doubleheader, Great Bend was riding a four-game winning streak and had lost just six on the season. When the Chiefs were able to score on a leadoff first inning error by Hays third baseman Travis Budke, things looked to go sour for the Eagles in a hurry. Hays had two first-inning errors and Great Bend took a 1-0 lead.
Hays (17-8) rallied back though, and run-ruled the Chiefs in six innings, 11-3. Hays won a defensive battle in the nightcap, 6-4.
"We won two games," Jenner said. "It wasn't exactly how we would like to win two games, but we did what we needed to do."
The Eagles relied on their powerful offense to get the job done in Game 1. Hays trailed 1-0, but caught a break when Great Bend (15-8) committed its first of three errors in the opener. With no outs, Budke ground into a double play, but it was good enough to score Sam Rohleder from third with the bases loaded.
"We finally started hitting the ball well in that first game, and that carried over into the second," Jenner said. "We had good solid hits in that ball game."
In the third inning, Great Bend had one more error, one scoring a run, and the Eagles were able to plate three runs to take a 4-1 lead.
From there, Hays starter Kelton Rule (4-1) gave up two more runs in the fourth on three hits. They were the first hits given up by Rule, who lasted into the fifth for the win.
"Rule didn't have his best stuff tonight, but we were able to make up for it, and Matt Malott really kept us going in that game."
Malott relieved in the fifth with the tying run on base. The Eagles backed him up with a run in the fifth and six in the sixth to end the game early and give Malott the save.
Sam Rohleder had his second of two triples in the sixth, and drove in a pair of runs, with Thomas Rohleder putting on the finishing touches with an RBI double to force the run-rule.
"It's really about us just doing it all at the same time,"¬ Jenner said. "We aren't consistent. We'll have good hitting games and good pitching games, but we'll have errors. Then, we'll cut down on the errors, but the pitching won't come through."
In the nightcap, Hays posted four runs early, three coming on a bases-clearing double by Austin Klaus after Great Bend intentionally walked Sam Rohleder to load the bases.
The walk to Rohleder came after his 3-for-3 game in the opener where he drove in three runs to boost his season total to 33 driven in. Sam Rohleder has worked himself into the cleanup spot, where he batted in both games Monday.
""First, it was singles and doubles, now it's doubles and triples and he's worked himself into that 4-hole, and I don't see him leaving it any time soon," Jenner said.
Sam Rohleder didn't have the big bat in the nightcap. That belonged to Austin Klaus, who drove in four runs, going 2-for-3, along with Kelton Rule.
On the mound, Logan Downing (2-0) gave up three hits in the second inning, where they cut the lead in half at 4-2, but settled in to retire the next nine batters. Hays tacked on another run in the second to make it a 5-2 ball game. Hays again had an error at third base in the first inning, but this time, nothing came of it.
"We have to clean it up," Jenner said. "Most of the time, teams like Great Bend are going to make you pay for two or three errors.
"When it comes time for zone tournament later on in the season, those things are going to cost you."
The game was 5-3 until Downing walked leadoff batter Brad Holt for Great Bend, and Fort Hays State University signee Trent Mauler drove him in with a double, part of his 2-for-3 effort. After Hays posted one in the fifth with a sacrifice fly by David Klaus, the Chiefs responded with just one run in the seventh before Downing got Logan Luenberger to fly out to right field to end the game.
"The kids are working hard between the lines. It's just about knowing what to do in certain situations, and we're getting closer," Jenner said. "It's just about getting better at that stuff by tournament time."
Game notes
* In the first game, Great Bend's Mauler was designated the beverage batter at Larks Park, but not the traditional batter seen at Larks games. A strikeout for Mauler by Malott in the fifth led to $1 beverages a the concession stand for the rest of the inning. Mauler, first team all-state Class 5A third baseman in the spring, is a Fort Hays signee, who will join the Tigers in the fall.
* Sam Rohleder's 3-for-3 game in the opener led to three runs scored and three driven in. He was also hit by a pitch in the game, which drove in a run.
* Hays had 15 hits in the opener and Great Bend committed two errors, both leading to runs.
- Hays hosts the Wild West tournament, beginning Friday. The Eagles' first game is slated for 2 p.m. against the Independence Bears at Larks Park. Games will be played at Larks Park and Hays High field.
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