LYONS — Larned’s baseball team escaped with a 5-4 victory over Lyons Tuesday to maintain first place in the Central Kansas league. Larned (12-1 CKL) leads second-place Halstead (10-3 CKL, 11-4).  
Larned pitcher Isiah Perez (3-1) stranded the tying runners on base in the sixth and seventh innings in rainy conditions. The second game was postponed due to wet field conditions. Mitchel Vincent was thrown out at the plate in the sixth inning and Perez struck out Blaine Shay in the sixth inning.
Perez struck out Tyler Edwards and retired Mitchel on a groundout in the seventh inning.
Larned scored two first-inning runs. Evan Skelton and Landon Erway singled. Lyons committed an error and Perez’s single scored a run.
Walks to Edwards and Mitchel led to two Lyons runs. Ricky Pray singled home Edwards and Vincent scored on a force play for a 2-2 tie in the second inning.
Skelton, Erway and Tyler Stelter singled to load the bases in the third inning. Johnathon Herter’s two -run single scored Skelton and Erway. Trey Kraisinger’s sacrifice fly scored Stelter for a 5-2 lead.
An error and walk led to two Lyons runs in the third inning. Riley Kirkhart scored and Edwards’ single scored Kirkhart. But Perez shut out Lyons in the final four innings.
Larned plays at Kingman Friday; at Pratt May 12; and at Great Bend May 14. The Indians (12-1) need two more wins to clinch the top seed ahead of Thomas More Prep (12-4) and Russell (10-4) in the May 19 Hoisington baseball regional. Hoisington (6-10) will be the fourth seed.
LARNED 5, LYONS 4
Larned            203 000 0 — 5 10  3
Lyons              022 000 0 —  4  7  2
Perez and Stelter. Kirkhart, Oberle, (4) and Nave. W—Perez, 3-1. L—Kirkhart.  2B—Isiah Perez.
CKL BASEBALL
Larned    12-1    12-1
Halstead    10-3    11-4
Pratt    11-5    11-7
Lyons    7-4      7-6
Nickerson    8-6      9-7
Kingman    9-7      10-8
Hoisington    6-10     6-10
Smoky Valley    3-9      3-11
Haven    2-10    2-12
Hillsboro    1-14    2-15
Monday’s games
Lyons 3, Hillsboro 1
Lyons 5, Hillsboro 5, suspended
Tuesday’s games
Independent 8-0, Halstead 1-2
Nickerson 7-2, Hoisington 4-4
Larned 5, Lyons 4