WICHITA - The Hays Larks are headed back to the championship game of the NBC World Series as they take down the Lonestar Baseball Club Friday 7-3 in the semifinals at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
After Lonestar scored a single run in the top of the first inning, the Larks scored four times in the bottom of the inning for a 4-1 lead.
Kaleb Duncan got the scoring started with his first of two RBI singles, two batters later Garrett Gruell drove in two with an RBI double and then Houston Russell capped off the inning with an RBI single of his own for a 4-1 Hays lead.
Lonestar made it 4-2 with a run in the top of the second but Duncan’s RBI single in the bottom of the inning made it 5-2 Hays through two.
Lonestar scored a third run in the top of the third for a 5-3 lead.
Hays’ Gruell delivered the first homerun for the Larks at the NBC, a two-run shot to left putting Hays up 7-3.
The Larks (33-8) bullpen would do the rest on their way to a 7-3 win and their second NBC title game appearance in three year.
Luke Spencer earned the win with 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He struck out two and allowed four hits. Adrian Najar added two more innings of scoreless relief for Hays.
Duncan, Russell and Gruell each collected a pair of hits for the Larks and Gruell drove in four runs.