By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Eric Roof gathered his equipment near Larks Park's infield after Monday's game. He walked over to the third base dugout where Hays Larks' manager Frank Leo stood.

A smiling Leo gave Roof a hug.

"Thanks for letting me do it, coach," Roof said.

"I appreciate it."

The embrace marked one of the more unique games in Larks history. For the first time in Leo's 28 years as manager, a Lark played all nine positions.

Roof, the usual starting catcher, played one position in each of the first eight innings and pitched to three batters in the ninth.

His constant shuffling was the backdrop for a wild and odd 14-13 Larks non-league victory against Salina that featured Hays losing a five and four-run lead at different occasions.

"This was a crazy game," Roof said. "It was a blast."

Down three entering the bottom of the ninth, the Larks rallied with four runs, capped off by a walk-off two-run single from Kevin Hennessey. Every Hays starter played at least two positions.

The Larks used three position players, Mike Brownstein and Dusty Washburn and Roof, among their seven pitchers in a game where several regulars had the night off. Steven Mazur, Hays' top reliever, also doubled, singled in two pinch-hit at-bats and scored the game-tying run in the ninth.

"Scorekeepers' nightmare," Leo said. "We had to map out the pitching."

The Larks still won its sixth straight game, its longest winning streak since winning eight in a row in July 2006. Hays (23-11) swept the season series from Salina and is 5-0 through the first four days of a five-day homestand.

"Hopefully it's a game that will kind of loosen us up a little bit," Leo said. "It was a pretty intense weekend."

The wins helped Roof fulfill a goal he has had for nearly a decade.

Roof had wanted to play all nine positions in one game at St. Mary high school in Paducah, Kentucky. His dad, Gene Roof, currently a coach in the Tigers' organization, played all nine in Triple-A. Only three major leaguers, none since 2000, have accomplished the feat.

High school coach Billy Hodge wouldn't let Roof, then a pitcher/shortstop, catch. At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, Roof played third base his first season at Michigan State before he converted to catcher.

For the Larks, Roof has been the No. 1 catcher all summer and also has seen time at second, third, first and the outfield before Monday night. After he started at second against Salina on June 24, he approached Leo about playing all nine for Hays.

"I mentioned it (again) to him on Friday," Roof said. "He said we had to win all four (over the weekend) for me to do it on Monday."

Roof didn't know for certain until Monday's batting practice when Leo approached him and said he was "pretty serious." With Gene Roof in attendance, the plan was for Roof to start at catcher, play the outfield, the infield and then pitch the ninth.

Roof's first experience came in left field in the second inning. Before the inning started, Roof turned to center fielder Chase Schippers and tried to get his bearings.

"I just was making sure he could help me out on flyballs, just telling me in or back since he plays outfield," Roof said.

Two batters later, Salina's Ryan Majercik (Fort Hays' catcher in the spring) hit a fly ball deep down the left field line. Roof ran over and made the catch.

"I had to run real far, the ball was blowing down near the line," Roof said.

The catch helped Hays take a 5-0 lead after two innings before Salina nicked Hays for single runs in the third, fourth and fifth.

In right field for the fourth, Roof had a chance to throw a runner out at home. Tanner Gurtner hit a sacrifice fly down the right field line, and Roof drifted over to make the catch.

Roof's throw beat Matt Giller home, but Roof uncorked a throw that overshot his catcher -- and the pitcher backing up the play.

"I didn't know how close I was to home plate," Roof said with a smile. "I let it loose a little too hard. It flew. Luckily there is a high backstop behind it, so it stopped it."

Salina tallied three more in the sixth. Roof made an error at shortstop when he tried to backhand a ground ball that ticked off his glove.

"I should have just stayed up on it," he said.

Hays scored two in the seventh on a two-run double by Ty Adams and three more in the eighth. Roof, who went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, tripled in the final two runs.

Mazur, who has posted a team-best 1.17 ERA, started the rally when he doubled down the left field line in his first at-bat as a Lark.

"Mazur has been wanting an at-bat, and I promised him one for some things that he did," Leo said.

The eighth inning was the only time Hays had problems with the substitutions. Washburn pitched the seventh and then entered the game at catcher - the first time he has caught all season after he caught at Thomas More Prep-Marian several years ago.

"We gave the guys a chance to relive their high school days," Leo said.

Washburn's entry lost the DH for Hays and confused Joe Huwer.

When the Larks took the field for the eighth, Huwer was supposed to move from catcher to right field. Instead, Huwer thought he was out of the game.

At the end of warmups, second baseman Rich Michalek yelled into the dugout "right field" and Huwer dressed quickly and ran out to right with his shirt untucked as the crowd laughed.

"I didn't catch him," Leo said. "Had to have two guys moving around for the switch. We had to hustle a little bit."

Roof made one play, unassisted, on a ground ball at first in the eighth. He took the mound in the ninth with Hays ahead 10-6. Roof hadn't pitched since high school and didn't throw as well as Brownstein and Washburn, who both delivered scoreless innings.

"I don't really have a lot of pitches and I don't throw hard, so I am kind of out of luck there," Roof said.

Roof tossed four strikes to three hitters, walked the first batter, then allowed a single and double. Hennessey, the Larks' usual closer who pitched the eighth and then moved to first base, switched positions with Roof.

"I wish I had been able to close it out in the ninth," Roof said. "(Pitching) was my hardest position."

Hennessey (1.29 ERA) allowed four straight and six of seven baserunners to reach base before shortstop Andrew Heck finished the inning. Salina scored seven runs and took a 13-10 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Larks put the first two batters on base. After a strikeout, Mazur continued his unique day with a single to center that loaded the bases.

"(Mazur) is the one that backed up his talk," Leo said. "He said I can hit."

Brandon Eckerle, pinch-hitting for Huwer, and Washburn both drew bases loaded walks.

Hennessey atoned for his pitching when he blasted a Jesse Stockwell offering deep into the right-center gap a two-run single. The game-winning hit capped the comeback victory and odd night.

In the Larks' postgame huddle, Leo gave Roof the game ball, and the players exited the huddle after yelling "Roof!" Roof, the last player on the field, walked over to Leo to say thanks and accept the hug.

"It was fun," Roof said with a smile.