By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

The Chandler-Gilbert (Ariz.) Community College baseball team played its final game this spring on April 25, nearly three weeks before most Division I colleges finished their schedules. When Chandler-Gilbert product Kyle Peterson arrived in Hays to join the Larks on June 2, he hadn't played in a contest for more than five weeks. With the layoff, Peterson began the summer 4-for-24 and missed two weeks with a shoulder injury.

"I knew they hadn't seen it all," he said. "Even in BP, I hadn't hit in a long time before I got here. I knew I might have a slow start. I did end up having a slow start, but coming out of it feels pretty dang good."

This weekend, Peterson delivered a terrific series against Jayhawk League leader El Dorado, including three hits, a homer and six RBIs in Sunday's 10-7 victory at Larks Park. Peterson finished 7-for-12 in the series with homers in three consecutive games, two doubles, four runs scored and 10 RBIs. He would have had another double, but was ruled out for missing first base on his hit in Thursday's game.

"That is one of the hottest series that we have had an offensive guy have in a long time," Hays manager Frank Leo said. "He was on fire, driving the ball."

Hays split the four-game series with El Dorado (all four games were within three runs) and stayed close to the league-leading Broncos. Hays is 9-8 overall and 6-7 in the Jayhawk League, while El Dorado is 14-6, 11-6.

"This win was huge to getting into the NBC World Series," Peterson said.

Hays starter Kenny Toves went just 2 1/3 innings and permitted six runs, all earned. Grant Gillespie, though, worked 3 2/3 innings of superb long relief. Gillespie (1-0) allowed one run and helped Hays, down 6-4 after three innings, start a comeback.

"Two-seamer all the time, just try to pound it on the outside all the time," Gillespie said. "Just try to get our guys back in hitting. It's all about you can't have them standing on the field. You have to make sure they are in the dugout, ready to hit."

Peterson helped Hays tally double-digit runs for the first time in league play and the third time all summer. However, earlier this year, Peterson struggled at the plate before he missed time after a loss against Derby on June 11.

"He is a good, strong kid, and he probably was taking some pitches early that he probably should have been getting after," Leo said. "They did have a long time off. Without seeing live pitching -- you take a lot of batting practice -- but without seeing live reps, it's a little tough. But he sure is seeing things good now, and hopefully it will continue."

During the break, the shoulder injury didn't affect his batting. Peterson kept his timing with daily batting practice sessions and focusing on hitting the ball to the opposite field.

"My arm was resting for a week or two, but my bat wasn't, and I think that was the key to coming back," he said.

Peterson, who returned against Dodge City last week, helped rallies in three innings, including the second, fourth and the five-run sixth. Earlier in the series, Peterson batted eighth and sixth, but was moved to the third spot for the first time Sunday.

"It changes your approach a lot," he said. "Batting in the eight hole, you get a lot more fastballs. I remember the first at-bat today, I got three straight curveballs. You just have to learn to take them. I hadn't seen many of them. Once you see one, you just have to remember what that guy was throwing, and when he was throwing it to you."

Peterson, looking for fastballs, lined a two-run single in a three-run second and delivered an RBI double in the fourth. In the sixth, with Hays down 7-5, Peterson helped the Larks collect six hits and send 10 men to the plate. Sean Wilson and Brandon Eckerle started the inning with singles. After a groundout, a surprised Peterson deposited a 2-0 pitch from left-hander Mike Nixon well beyond the left-center field fence for his third homer in as many games. During the weekend, Peterson upped his average from .167 to .314 and now leads Hays in slugging percentage (.657), homers (three) and ranks second in RBIs (11).

"I don't know why they threw to me really," Peterson said of the homer. "It was 2-0, and they had a lefty pitching, and we had a lefty on deck. Really, that is a perfect situation to just walk the guy, and instead they decided to throw a fastball right down the middle, and I couldn't believe they did that. It really helped us out a lot."

Calvin Lewis pitched a scoreless seventh and Eric Rose worked the final two innings for his team-leading third save.

The Larks will continue their six-game homestand with a two-game series against Liberal on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games start at 7 p.m. at Larks Park.