By The Hays Daily News
DODGE CITY -- Hays High School baseball coach Frank Leo knew his pitching staff was going to be tested with a pair of triangulars this week on the road.
Keeping pitch counts down an innings short is key for making it through the week. In Tuesday's first of the two triangulars in Dodge City, Hays High did just that -- and took it to the next level.
In the first of two games, Indian senior Matt Malott shut out Class 4A Larned in six innings, helping Hays High win 11-0, and in Game 2, junior Logan Downing threw a no-hitter against Western Athletic Conference foe Dodge City, giving Hays High the 11-1 win. Both starters went the distance, leaving senior ace Nathan Meier and junior Kelton Rule fresh for Friday's triangular at McPherson with Kapaun Mt. Carmel, two Class 5A qualifiers from last season.
In the game against Larned on Tuesday, Malott (1-0) gave up just one hit and no walks as the Indian offense blasted out 11 hits, putting up four runs in the first inning, and seven in the sixth to run-rule Larned (0-4).
Junior Tom Rohleder had a solid game at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and four RBIs. He was one of four Indians with multiple hit days. Both senior Taylor Pfannenstiel and senior Austin Klaus each drove in two runs, and four Indians scored two runs each. Larned's one hit came in the second inning, as Malott shut it down for the final four innings.
In the game against Dodge City, Downing (2-0) gave up three walks, but no hits against the Red Demons. Dodge City (2-4) put up its run in the first inning off one Hays High error, while the Indians (3-1) struggled through the first three innings, with just one hit off the Dodge City starter.
In the fourth inning, Hays High opened up the offense with three straight hits, one each by senior Sam Rohleder, Tom Rohleder, and Austin Klaus. That opened up a three-run, four-hit inning for the Indians with one Dodge City error to give Hays High a 3-1 lead.
Hays High followed with seven runs in the fifth and put up one more in the seventh an RBI ground out by Rule.
Tom Rohleder had three RBIs in the second game, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a double.
In the complete game, Downing walked three with six Ks.