Bee Jays in Tall Cotton

It wasn’t pretty, but the Liberal Bee Jays don’t care. The beat the Casa Grande, Arizona Cotton Kings 8-6 Sunday to advance in the NBC World Series at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita. Liberal plays Jayhawk League rival Dodge City Monday night at 7:30 in the NBC World Series at a time to be announced. The Bee Jays and A’s tied for second in the Jayhawk going 19-15 while the BJ’s won 3 of 4 at DC and the A’s took 3 of 4 at Brent Gould Field.

The Bee Jays took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the second. Dayne Parker laced a double to left center to score Derek Miller who had walked and stolen a base. Liberal scored four in the second. Jake Barrios tripled home a run before Johnathan Sigado singled home a run. Parker walked with the bases loaded and Tyler Baker grounded to second to score a run.

But Liberal gave it all back in the bottom of the inning when the Cotton Kings scored five runs on just two hits and two errors by the BJ third baseman. They chased BJ starter Justin Schnedler who worked just 1 and 2/3 innings.

Dylan Delso was clutch in the BJ fourth when he lined one to left center to score two with two outs and make it 7-5 Liberal. The Cotton Kings scored an unearned run in the sixth to make it 7-6. Jake Barrios tripled home Delso in the ninth to make it 8-6.

On the mound, Keegan Hucul worked 6 and 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to improve to 3-0.