Kansas Stars win first two, play tonight

WICHITA — The Kansas Stars, a team of former Major League Baseball players that includes Fort Scott High graduates Adam, Andy and Jeff LaRoche, have won the first two games at the National Baseball Congress World Series here, clinching their pool. No matter what happens in tonight’s 7 p.m. gave versus the Liberal (Kan.) BeeJays, the Stars will advance to Thursday’s quarterfinal round.

The Stars got by the Colorado Cyclones, 3-2, on Saturday then rolled by the Everett (Wash.) Merchants Monday night, 10-1. The BeeJays are 0-2 in pool play and will conclude series play tonight.

Adam LaRoche was 0 for 4 but scored a run in Saturday’s win over Colorado. Four Cyclone pitchers combined to hold the Stars to 4 hits. They rallied in the ninth thanks to three walks and Brandon Inge’s RIB double.

LaRoche — who organized the team last year along with Wichitan and ex-Detroit Tiger Nate Robertson — admitted that it’s tough to come out and play when one hasn’t played in at least a year — several years in the case of many of the players.

“That’s the tough thing about coming in here without playing in a year, or some guys multiple years,” Adam LaRoche told the Wichita Eagle’s Jeffrey Lutz. “Just the rhythm of it takes some time. Next year we may need to re-think it and have a couple scrimmages or something so we don’t wait until our fourth at-bat to get something going.”

Joe Nathan was the winning pitcher in relief. He struck out one batter in pitching a perfect eighth. Heath Bell closed it out, allowing an unearned run on one hit with 2 strikeouts. Starter Roy Oswalt pitched the first 3 innings, allowing one hit and one walk with 7 strikeouts.

Monday’s game was nationally televised by ESPN2. The Stars helped the network out by taking care of Everett in just 6 1/2 innings as the 8-run rule came into effect. The Stars, who were the designated visitors, scored 2 runs in the top of the sixth and 4 more in the seventh.

Adam LaRoche was 0 for 5 but little brother Andy, playing his first game of the series, was 1 for 3 with a 3-run home run in the top of the first. Jack Wilson, known for his defense when he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, was 2 for 5 to lead the Stars at the plate.

Roy Halladay was the winning pitcher for the Stars, going 4 innings and allowing one hit and one walk while striking out 5. Ben Sheets pitched the final two innings, allowing an unearned run on one hit and one walk with 3 strikeouts.

The Kansas Stars are one of seven teams representing the Sunflower State in the NBC World Series. In addition to them and the BeeJays, the state is also represented by the Mulvane Patriots, Hays Larks, Cheney Diamond Dawgs, Wellington Heat and Derby Twins.