The Hays High School baseball team jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, as they shut out the Garden City Buffaloes, 13-0, to win the program’s fourth-straight Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship – and 22nd conference title in program history – on May 2 at Leo-Harper Field.

Hays High scored all 13 of their runs in the first three innings against four different Buffalo pitchers. The Indians’ pitching was able to shut down the Buffaloes in the game by only allowing two hits and helping Hays High get a run-rule win, making it the second game this season that the Indians won in a run-rule.

The Indians had eight different players record a hit, and five players who scored multiple runs. Seniors Johnny Cano, Trace Jacobs, Tiger Johnson and Jalen Smith and junior Brett Rhoades all scored two runs. Johnson also had two hits. Overall, Hays High had nine hits, eight RBIs and eight walks to go with 13 runs in the game.

Only two players for Garden City recorded hits, those being Brayson Plankenhorn and Evan Finch. The Buffaloes’ four pitchers allowed nine hits, 10 earned runs and eight walks while recording five strikeouts.

The win improves Hays High’s record to 11-6 and 10-1 in WAC play. The Indians will be back in action at the Diamond Classic, starting Thursday, May 8 against Thomas More Prep (TMP) at Larks Park. Hays High will also have two games on Friday, May 9 against Manhattan and Brush, Colo., and one on Saturday against Life Prep.