The Hayfield baseball team used a little small ball to snap its seven-game losing skid Friday as it beat Lyle-Pacelli 7-1 at Dick Seltz Field Friday.

The Vikings (3-7 overall) finished with seven stolen bases and three sacrifice bunts to go with their 12 hits on a day where strong winds were blowing in.

“Before the season, we highlighted the five games we have against Class ‘A’ teams in our section this season and this is one of them,” Hayfield head coach Kasey Krekling said. “We had to win this one.”

Hayfield put the game away in the top of seventh when JB Stackhouse ripped an RBI-double down the line to make it 5-1 and Mat Walters added an RBI-single to make it 7-1.

Hayfield’s roster includes just two upper classmen, but all of its losses to ‘AA’ schools in the HVL have been by five runs or less.

“We’re a young team, but we’re coming along,” said Stackhouse, a sophomore. “We’ve played a lot of good teams and we competed well with them.”

The Athletics (6-3 overall) tied the game at one in the bottom of the first when Ryan McConnell blooped a single into the wind to score a run, but LP would strand five runners in scoring position on the day.

“We’re getting off to terrible starts and we can’t seem to make a play early on in the game,” LP head coach Brock Meyer said. “Our focus just doesn’t seem to be there in the first couple of innings. You’ve also got to give Hayfield credit. They did the fundamental things well tonight. They bunted well and they made us make plays. They’ve got some good speed and they run well.”

Cole Kruger helped get Hayfield’s offense going from the leadoff spot as he finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, two runs and two stolen bases.

“Their pitcher threw first pitch strikes every time, so I just swung right away,” Kruger said. “We started our season off good and then we lost seven in a row. We needed this one.”

Jason Born picked up the win on the mound for Hayfield as he struck out four and scattered six hits.

“He threw strikes and he did his job. He got into some trouble, but he battled and got out of the innings,” Krekling said.

Hayfield 1 1 0 1 1 0 3 — 7 12 3

LP 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 6 2

Hayfield pitching: Jason Born (W), 7 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 4 K

Hayfield hitting: Cole Kruger, 2-for-4, RBI, 2 R, 2 SB; Connor Nelson, 1-for-3; Drew Streightiff, 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 SB; JB Stackhouse, 2-for-4, double, RBI; Born, 0-for-3, BB; Will Waggoner, 3-for-4, double, 3 SB, R; Carter Pesch, 0-for-2, R, HBP; Jacob Steiner, 0-for-1; Cam Rutledge, 0-for-1, R, HBP; Mat Watlers, 1-for-1, RBI, BB

LP pitching: Daniel Bollingberg (L), 6 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 4 ER, 4 K, HBP; Josiah Rohne, 1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER

LP hitting: Bollingberg, 1-for-4, R, SB; Josiah Rohne, 0-for-3, SB, BB; Jordan Hart, 0-for-4; Ryan McConnell, 2-for-4, RBI; Josiah Rohne, 0-for-3, BB; Sean Shapiro, 2-for-3; Kevin Juenger, 0-for-2; Jake Nelson, 1-for-3; Drew Chapek, 0-for-2, BB