BY JIM MISUNAS
HAYS – Great Bend baseball coach Randy Beck knew all about Tennessee signee Dylan Dreiling, batting .773 for the Hays High Indians.
Now, he knows about the hot-hitting Dalton Dale.
After Dreiling opened with an RBI single, Dale drilled a 2-run first-inning homer. Dale capped a 6-RBI game with a 3-run home run off Tyler Stuhlsatz that ended the Indians’ 16-6 run-rule victory over the Panthers. Dreiling delivered three hits with three RBI and three runs scored.
Playing conditions were blustery with 30 to 46 mph southwest winds blowing changing to 30 to 46 mph northwest winds.
Hays High (5-1, 4-1 WAC) ripped Great Bend’s pitching staff and took advantage of five walks and three errors the Panthers contributed.
Great Bend harbored hopes of taking first place over the defending league champions. But the Indians showcased a powerful 14-hit offense against Panther pitchers Chayse Gruber (3-1), Paco Hernandez, Sage Koelsch and Stuhlsatz.
Hernandez singled four times as the Panthers’ top of the lineup batted 10 for 19. But the bottom half finished 0 for 10.
Hays’ Derek Riggs followed Dale’s first-inning blast with back-to-back homers for a 4-0 lead. Hernandez and Gruber scored on a third-inning error for a 4-2 score.
The Indians responded three times after the Panthers scored. Derek Riggs scored on Carson Spray’s third-inning single for a 5-2 lead. Riggs and Carson Spray delivered RBI singles in a 3-run fourth for an 8-2 lead.
Gruber drove home Koelsch with a sacrifice fly and Hagerman singled home Hernandez in a 3-run fifth inning. Stefan Spray scored on an error. Dale’s 2-run single made it 10-5.
Stefan Spray’s sixth-inning single scored Hernandez for a 10-6 score. Noah Weimer and Garrett Wellbrock delivered RBIs before Dale and Dreiling each drove home two runs for a 16-6 final.
Great Bend (5-2, 2-1 WAC) plays Garden City at home Friday.
Great Bend 002 031 – 6 10 3
Hays High 401 326 – 16 14 4
Gruber, Hernandez (3), Koelsch (5), Stuhlsatz (6) and Beck. Spray, Dreher (6) and Riggs. W—Spray, 2-0. L—Gruber, 3-1. 2B—GB—Koelsch, Haberman. HR—H—Dale 2 (3,4); Dreiling (2).
WAC BASEBALL
Hays High 4-1 5-1
Dodge City 1-0 3-4
Great Bend 2-1 5-2
Garden City 2-2 5-4
Liberal 0-5 2-5
TUESDAY—*Hays 16, Great Bend 6
THURSDAY—*Hays at Dodge City (2); Liberal at Guymon, Okla. (2)
FRIDAY—*Garden City at Great Bend (2); Liberal at Woodward, Okla. (2)
HAYS HIGH (4-1, 5-1)—WW *Liberal 12-2, 10-0; W Washburn Rural 14-4, 5-15 (suspended); WL *Garden City 15-3, 10-16; W *Great Bend 16-6; 4-14—*at Dodge City (2); 4-21—*at Great Bend (1); 4-23—at DeSoto (2); 5-5 to 5-7—at Hays Tournament (4); 5-10—Ulysses (2)
DODGE CITY (1-0, 3-4)—LL Andover 5-7, 5-7; L Newton 6-8; L Valley Center 2-4; W *Garden City 8-2; WW Wichita South 15-5, 11-0; 4-14—*Hays High (2); 4-19—*at Great Bend (1); 4-22—Wichita West, Scott City; 4-26—*at Garden City (1); 4-29—*Great Bend (1); 5-3—at Wichita, McPherson; 5-6/7—at Emporia; Maize South; 5-10—*at Liberal (1); 5-12—*Liberal (1)
GREAT BEND (2-1, 5-2)—W Junction City 11-0; L McPherson 2-8; WW Hutchinson 7-6, 11-2; WW *Liberal 7-4, 10-1; L *Hays 6-16; 4-15—*Garden City (2); 4-19—*Dodge City (1); 4-21—*Hays High (1); 4-26—Hays-TMP (2); 4-29—*at Dodge City (1); 5-5 to 5-7—at Hays Tournament; 5-13—at Goddard Eisenhower
GARDEN CITY (2-2, 5-4)—W Newton 5-4; L Circle 1-2; L Augusta 3-6; W *Liberal 9-8; WW Goodland 14-3, 11-1; L *Dodge City 2-8; WL *Hays High 16-10, 3-15; 4-15—*at Great Bend (2); 4-19—*at Liberal (1); 4-26—Dodge City (1); 5-2—Lamar, Colo. (2); 5-6—at Emporia (4); 5-12—Hays-TMP (2)
LIBERAL (0-5, 2-5)—WW Hugoton 15-3, 15-3; L *Garden City 8-9; LL *Hays High 2-12, 0-10; LL *Great Bend 4-7, 1-10; 4-14—at Guymon, Okla. (2); 4-15—at Woodward, Okla. (2); 4-19—*Garden City (1); 4-22-23—at Wichita Life; 4-25—Wichita South (2); 5-2—Elkhart (2); 5-10—*Dodge City (1); 5-12—*at Dodge City (1)
