HALSTEAD — Larned’s Evan Skelton struck out seven batters to pitch the Indians to a 7-1 victory over Halstead. The Indians completed the sweep with an 8-5 baseball victory. Defending CKL champion Larned (4-0, 4-0 CKL) is tied for first place with Nickerson.
LARNED 7, HALSTEAD 1 — Evan Skelton singled home Mason Schartz after a hit batter and stolen base in the third inning. Skelton scored on Isiah Perez’s single for a 2-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Jonathon Herter and Carson Smith singled and Schartz walked to lead the bases. Evan Skelton’s drive to centerfield was misplayed and all baserunners scored for a 5-0 lead. In the fifth, Larned scored two more runs when Perez walked, Herter singled and Alex Barger walked to load the bases. Dalton Bright’s single scored Perez and Herter scored on a passed ball.
Evan Skelton stranded Trevor Thomas after a triple with back-to-back strikeouts in the second inning. Gage Hardtarfer’s single scored Tate Kaufman in the seventh inning.
Thomas had two hits. Halstead pitcher Chase VanSteenburg struck out 10 batters.
LARNED 8, HALSTEAD 5 — Larned pitcher Isiah Perez struck out 10 batters in a seven-inning outing. Landon Erway had two hits and two runs batted in. Carson Smith drove in two runs.
Erway singled home Schartz in the first inning. Halstead’s Dylan Ratzlaff singled home Trevor Thomas and Dalton Kraus for a 2-1 second-inning lead.
In the fourth, Carson Smith’s double scored Herter and Barger scored on a bases-loaded walk to Evan Skelton. Smith scored on Erway’s groundball for a 4-2 lead. Smith’s groundball scored Gage Skelton in the fifth for a 5-2 lead.
Chase VanSteenburg scored on Tate Kaufman’s groundball for a 5-3 score. Gage Skelton and Dalton Bright drove in sixth-inning runs for a 7-3 margin as Perez and Gage Skelton scored runs. Herter’s bases-loaded walk forced in Evan Skelton in the seventh for a 8-3 lead.
Halstead rallied when VanSteenburg and Trevor Thomas drove in seventh-inning runs. But catcher Gage Skelton threw out Thomas to end the game.

LARNED 7, HALSTEAD 1
LARNED               AB  R  H BI  HALSTEAD             AB  R  H BI
Mason Schartz         2  2  0  0  Dylan Ratzlaff        3  0  0  0  
Evan Skelton          4  1  1  2  Chase Vansteenburg    3  0  0  0  
Landon Erway          3  0  0  0  Layke Heimerman       2  0  0  0  
Isiah Perez           3  1  1  1  Tate Kaufman          3  1  1  0  
Gage Skelton          4  0  1  0  Trevor Thomas         3  0  2  0  
Johnathon Herter      4  2  2  0  Gage Hardtarfer       3  0  1  1  
Alex Barger           2  0  0  0  Dalton Kraus          3  0  0  0  
Dalton Bright         3  0  1  1  Daniel Fulghum        2  0  0  0  
Carson Smith          3  1  1  0  Tony Morris           3  0  0  0  
TOTALS               28  7  7  4  TOTALS               25  1  4  1
Larned   002 320 00 — 7 7 0
Halstead 000 000 1x — 1 4 3
  LOB—Larned 6, Halstead 5. E—Tony Morris, Tate Kaufman, Dylan Ratzlaff. 3B—Trevor Thomas. HBP—Mason Schartz, Layke Heimerman. SAC—Alex Barger. SB—Mason Schartz, Evan Skelton, Gage Hardtarfer, Daniel Fulghum.
 Larned                       IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO
Evan Skelton                   7    4    1    1    1    7
 Halstead           
Daniel Fulghum                 7    7    7    4    4    2
  PB—Layke Heimerman (2). BALK—Evan Skelton. SO—Carson Smith, Dalton Bright, Dalton Kraus, Tony Morris, Chase Vansteenburg, Dylan Ratzlaff (2), Gage Hardtarfer, Daniel Fulghum. BB—Mason Schartz, Alex Barger, Landon Erway, Isiah Perez, Daniel Fulghum.

LARNED 8, HALSTEAD 5
LARNED INDIANS       AB  R  H BI  HALSTEAD DRAGONS     AB  R  H BI
Mason Schartz         3  1  0  0  Dylan Ratzlaff        3  1  1  2  
Evan Skelton          2  1  0  1  Chase Vansteenburg    4  1  2  1  
Landon Erway          4  0  2  2  Layke Heimerman       2  1  1  0  
Isiah Perez           5  1  1  0  Tate Kaufman          3  0  0  1  
Gage Skelton          4  2  2  1  Trevor Thomas         3  1  1  1  
Johnathon Herter      0  1  0  1  Gage Hardtarfer       2  0  0  0  
Alex Barger           3  1  1  0  Dalton Kraus          3  1  0  0  
Dalton Bright         3  0  0  1  Daniel Fulghum        3  0  0  0  
Carson Smith          4  1  1  2  Tony Morris           2  0  0  0  
TOTALS               28  8  7  8  TOTALS               25  5  5  5
Larned 100 312 10 – 8 7 1   
Halstead 020 010 2x — 5 5 0
  LOB—Larned 14, Halstead 6. E—Evan Skelton. 2B—Carson Smith, Layke Heimerman. HBP—Johnathon Herter, Dalton Bright, Evan Skelton (2), Tony Morris. SACB—Tate Kaufman, Gage Hardtarfer. SB—Landon Erway, Isiah Perez, Layke Heimerman, Chase Vansteenburg 3, Dylan Ratzlaff 2.
 Larned                         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO
Isiah Perez                    7.0    5    5    4    4   10
 Halstead           
Chase Vansteenburg             5.0    4    5    5    8   10
Dylan Ratzlaff                 0.6    1    2    2    2    0
Layke Heimerman                1.3    2    1    1    1    1
  PB—Gage Skelton 2, Layke Heimerman 5. BALK—Isiah Perez. SO—Mason Schartz, Alex Barger, Carson Smith, Gage Skelton, Dalton Bright 3, Isiah Perez 3, Evan Skelton, Layke Heimerman, Trevor Thomas, Chase Vansteenburg, Tate Kaufman 2, Gage Hardtarfer 2, Daniel Fulghum 3. BB—Mason Schartz 2, Johnathon Herter 4, Alex Barger 2, Gage Skelton, Landon Erway, Evan Skelton, Layke Heimerman 2, Trevor Thomas, Dylan Ratzlaff.