Bee Jays Provide Fireworks in Ninth

There won’t be fireworks blasting out of the air at Brent Gould Field this summer. But the team did their best to give the fans a show in the ninth inning Wednesday night at Brent Gould Field. Liberal erased a 12-7 deficit with six runs in the ninth to shock the Greeley Grays 13-12.

With two outs, Kansas State’s Ross Kivett singled on the ground to left to drive home UTSA’s Riley Good to tie the game. Angelo State’s Toby Semler scored on a wild pitch to win it and cause a celebration at home plate. The big hit in the inning was a three RBI double off the center field wall by Nicholls State’s Blake Bergeron. The Grays used four pitchers in the ninth.

It was an otherwise lackluster night by the BJ’s. They committed six errors and allowed 12 runs on 16 Greeley hits.

Liberal also scored six in the second and Greeley scored five in the third to tie the game at seven. The Grays scored in every inning but the sixth and ninth.

Liberal’s starter Tyler Rockafellow went three innings allowing seven runs. Curtis Washburn pitched an inning and allowed one run. Brent Harrison allowed two runs in the fifth. Quay Grant pitched for the first time and worked a perfect sixth. Nick Youpel worked two innings and allowed one earned run. Cale Elam pitched a perfect ninth for the win.

Blake Bergeron was 2-4 with a homer and double and five RBI’s. Reyn Nagamine was 2-5 with two doubles and three RBI’s. Ryan Walker was 2-3 and Ross Kivett was 2-4 with an RBI.

Liberal is 18-6 and returns to Jayhawk League play Thursday night at Dodge City at 7 p.m. on Talkradio 1270 and kscbnews.net.