Bee Jay Blues Continue

With a chance to take over second place in the Jayhawk League, the Liberal Bee Jays found ways not to score in a 6-5 loss at home to the Dodge City A’s Thursday night at Brent Gould Field.

Liberal banged out 14 hits but just chased across five runs.

The Bee Jays led 3-1 after five innings. They scroed in the first on a Dodge City error while trying to turn a double play. Seward’s Jake Barrios laced a double down the third baseline with two outs in the third to score Derek Miller in the third. Barrios provided another two out RBI with a single in the fifth. Dodge City tied the game at five in the sixth and chased starter Cody Crabaugh.

Liberal bounced back in the bottom of the sixth. Dalton Bernardi led off with a single and stole second and Stephen Gandy singled so the BJ’s had runners at first and third with no outs in a tie game. But Liberal called for a suicide squeeze and a pop up bunt to first turned into a double play.

The A’s scored two runs in the 8th against reliever Ray Ashford to lead 5-3. John Branum came on to work out of a bases loaded no out jam. Barrios slammed hit second homer of the season into left center in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-4.

The A’s scored an insurance run against BJ closer Branum in the ninth to lead 6-4.

Liberal mounted a two out rally in the ninth when Jake Barrios singled home Tanner Rainey. The tying and winner runs were on first and second but the BJ’s flied to center to end the game.

Both the Hays Larks and Dodge City A’s won 3 of 4 in Liberal this summer.

The Bee Jays drop their fourth straight and are 16-14 in the Jayhawk and 24-14 overall. The A’s are 24-13 overall and 17-12 in the Jayhawk.

The Bee Jays host El Dorado (12-17 in the Jayhawk) Friday night at 7 p.m. to begin a three game series. The game airs on Talkradio 1270 and kscbnews.net. Sunflower Bank is the buyout sponsor.