Raiders catcher Langston Bush can't get the tag on Next Level Baseball runner Michael Sinks as he scores during the fourth inning on Tuesday, June 1, 2014 at Lawrence High School.

Raiders second baseman Ryan Cantrell flips the ball to shortstop Nate Hulse (3) as they turn a double play during the fifth inning against Next Level Baseball on Tuesday, June 1, 2014 at Lawrence High School.

For a while, it looked as if the Lawrence Raiders could survive a mid-week game by using a different pitcher in each inning.

The Raiders were trying to save arms for their weekend tournament and only gave up two hits in the first three innings against Next Level Baseball on Tuesday evening at Lawrence High.

Then everything unraveled in the late innings, and the Raiders lost, 10-3.

“Pitching new guys every inning, you don’t really get into a rhythm,” said Drew Green, who pitched the fifth inning. “But we didn’t hit the ball too well, and they hit the ball at the end of the game, and that’s pretty much what it came down to.”

NLB tied the game in the fourth inning with two leadoff hits, and went ahead in the fifth after a leadoff walk scored on a wild pitch.

In the sixth with Doug Easum on the mound, the first five batters for NLB reached base, including a leadoff single from LHS senior Michael Sinks. NLB also had the first five batters reach base in the seventh inning.

“We threw well at the beginning of the game, but the sixth and seventh, we couldn’t throw strikes, couldn’t get the ball over the plate,” said assistant coach J.D. Prochaska, who filled in for coach Brad Romme.

Green had a two-out hit to score Ryan Cantrell in the first inning to give Lawrence a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

“There were two outs so I knew they were going to probably stay away, try to get me to roll over something,” Green said. “I was looking to take it the other way and got an outside pitch and took it down the line.”

However, the Raiders (8-14) couldn’t muster much offense afterward. They left several runners on base, and only had three hits after the third inning — singles from Easum, Langston Bush and Cantrell.

Hitting has plagued the Raiders throughout the summer, leaving runners on base without capturing the elusive timely hits.

“Something we’ve got to work on,” Prochaska said. “Hopefully it comes around. We’ve got a couple of weeks left.”

The Raiders will play in a Kansas City tournament this weekend.

Next Level 000 114 4 — 10 11 3

Raiders 100 000 2 — 3 5 1

L — Drew Green.