Great Bend Edges Bee Jays in Last Home Game

It wasn’t the finish of their home season they were looking for.  The Liberal Bee Jays walked nine and committed three errors in a 7-6 loss to the Great Bend Bat Cats Thursday night at Brent Gould Field.  Caeden Trenkle was named the Bee Jay Player of the Year and Dean Royce was named the Carlile Fan of the Year.

Liberal got off to a good start.  Trenkle scored on a double steal as AJ Folds stole second.  Liberal scored four in the second as they looked like they might cruise.  Wyatt Grant and Aidan Shepardson singled to lead off the inning.  Jake Schulz singled with one out.  Liberal scored a run on a wild pitch and a second run on a wild throw to the pitcher covering.  Cayde Ward walked with the bases loaded.  Wilson Ehrhardt walked with the bases loaded.  Liberal pitching walked eight in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings leading to three Bat Cat runs in the fourth and one in the fifth.  Great Bend scored two in the seventh.  Nate White singled to lead off the eighth and Trenkle roped a triple over the left fielder’s head to tie the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth.  Great Bend scored a run in the ninth to lead 7-6 and win by that score.

Cole Evans worked two scoreless innings with five strikeouts.  Braxton Hyde worked a 1-2-3 third in his Bee Jay debut.  Tyler Hankins was the only other Bee Jay to work a scoreless inning.  AJ Folds had three hits.

Liberal finishes 16-2 at home and is 28-7 overall.  Great Bend finishes 19-20.  The BeeJays play the Houston Express in the NBC World Series in Hutchinson Monday night at 8:30 on 1270 and kscbnews.net.