Haysville’s Hot Start Too Much for BJ’s

Liberal was competitive but didn’t a have quite enough to pull off a comeback victory at Vulcan Field in Haysville Sunday night. The Heat finally won a Jayhawk League game after building leads of 3-0 and 6-3, only to see the sweep thirsty BJ’s rally.

The Heat scored three runs on six hits against starter Brad Wieck in the first. Liberal answered with two in the second after RBI singles by Coffeyville’s John Branum and Cisco’s Eric Tate.

The Heat scored two unearned runs when the BJ’s dropped a fly ball in deep right field allowing two runs to score and make it 5-2. The BJ’s chased home a run in the fifth after a hustling leadoff double by Wichita State’s Dayne Parker and an RBI groundout by WSU’s Tyler Baker. The Heat scored in the fifth to make the score 6-3.

But the BJ’s struck back with three in the sixth to tie the game 6-6. Louisiana Tech’s Stephen Gandy continues to swing a hot bat by blasting a solo leadoff homer over the left field wall into a corn field to make it 6-4. Texas-Arlington’s Travis Sibley singled home a run and Parker hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game. But the Heat scored a run in the seventh to lead 7-6.

After a tough one inning start by Wieck, Grayson’s Ray Ashford pitched three and 2/3 innings allowing one earned run. Seminole’s Cale Russell went two and 1/3 innings allowing one run. Tennessee Martin’s Trevor Lundgrin pitched a scoreless eighth.

Offensively Parker was 2-4 with an RBI. Gandy was 2-4 with a homer and finished 6-13 with two homers, a triple, double, and three RBI’s for the series.

Liberal is 5-3 overall and 3-3 in the Jayhawk. Haysville is 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the Jayhawk.