HESSTON, Kan. – The Hesston College baseball team split a four-game series with North Arkansas College over the weekend (May 2-3). The series was tightly contested as all four games were decided by two or fewer runs. This series concluded the regular season for the Larks and they will now prepare for the Region 6/16 tournament this week held in Trenton, Mo. The Larks will take on second-seeded East Central College in the first round on Thursday (May 8) at 3:30 p.m.

Game 1 – Hesston College 8, North Arkansas 9

There was a lack of scoring early on in the series opener, but the Larks broke through with a seven-run third inning. Lucas Dunn drove in RJ Cruz with a double to center field. Luke Richard drew an intentional walk before Jett Millsap slammed a three-run home run over the fence in left field. Sincere Lozano brought in Kaleb Wise with a sacrifice fly before Chris Cammllarie hit a two-run bomb to left to close out the inning. Wise added to the lead in the fifth with a solo home run to put the Larks up 8-0. The Pioneers got on the board in the sixth scoring a pair of runs on a Lark error and an RBI single. North Arkansas found a rhythm in the seventh inning mounting a seven-run rally to take the lead and held of the Larks in the home half to take game one.

Wise finished 2-for-3 in the game and Millsap and Cammllarie had multiple RBI.

Richard tossed five scoreless innings as the starter for Hesston allowing only three hits while striking out six.

Game 2 – Hesston College 3, North Arkansas 1

The Larks got on the board early in game two scoring a pair in the opening frame off a Wise RBI single and an error by NAC. The Pioneers responded with their only run of the game on an RBI triple. The Larks scored on another Pioneer error in the following half inning to go up 3-1. From there it was a pitcher's duel as neither team was able to cross the plate for the duration of the contest.

Dunn, Richard, Millsap and Wise each had hits in the game.

Millsap earned the win as the starter allowing one run on three hits while striking out three in three innings. Colby Simkins tossed three scoreless innings of relief allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out four. Camden Cornelius earned his team leading fourth save by tossing a scoreless seventh inning.

Game 3 – Hesston College 1, North Arkansas 3

Much like game one, it took time for either team to spark some offense in Saturday's opener. The Larks struck first in the third inning as Kelvin Malone stole his way around the bases after reaching via walk. The Pioneers tied things up in the fourth scoring on a wild pitch. Once again, the two pitching staffs held strong not allowing any runs until the Pioneers broke through in the eighth. Back-to-back RBI hits plated a pair of runs for NAC and they held off Hesston in the final half inning to take the game in extra innings.

Millsap, Wise and Cutter Livermore each had hits in the game.

Zach Guntle tossed six innings as the starter allowing one unearned run on three hits and two walks while striking out seven batters. Garrett Hanson took the loss allowing two runs on three hits while striking out two in two innings.

Game 4 – Hesston College 10, North Arkansas 9

The series finale played out in reverse of the series opener in which the Pioneers built a huge lead early and the Larks fought their way back into it and won via walk-off in the seventh. The Pioneers took a 9-0 lead into the bottom of the third before the Larks got on the board with an RBI single from Millsap. The Lark pitching staff held the Pioneers in check the rest of the way while they played catch up offensively. Cammllarie brought in Colin Pitzer with a sacrifice fly in the fourth and Lozano singled in the fifth to bring in Dunn and Noel Cesena. Trailing 9-4 in the final inning, the Larks sparked a six-run rally to complete the comeback and secure the series split. Cesena kicked off the scoring with an RBI triple to deep center. A pair of free passes set up a two-RBI double for Braxton Byers to bring the Larks within two. A bases loaded walk brought the score to 9-8 before an attempted double play by NAC turned into the winning play for Hesston as two runs scored.

Cesena finished 3-for-3 with an RBI and Byers went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI.