Bee Jays Topple Twins

Derby held the BJ offense in check for seven innings. It was 4-3 Liberal going to the bottom of the eighth. But you can only hold this BJ offense down for so long. Liberal plated four runs on four hits and three extra base hits in the eighth to blow the game open for an 8-3 win in the first game of a three game series with the Derby Twins at Brent Gould Field.

Liberal scored three in the first on three hits and three Derby errors. Nicholls State’s Blake Bergeron drove home a run with a single and San Diego’s Reyn Nagamine drives home a run with a ground out and another run scores on an error.

Wichita State lefty Josh Smith (2-0) held Derby in check throwing up five scoreless innings. Derby chased home three runs on five hits in the sixth to tie the game.

The Bee Jays took the lead in the sixth when Texas-Arlington’s Ryan Walker singled and went to second on an error. Texas-San Antonio’s Riley Good single him home to give the BJ’s a 4-3 lead.

The Bee Jays scored four in the eighth. Walker and Good doubled home runs before Northwood’s Eddie Arroyo tripled off the wall in left to drive home a run. A Bergeron fly ball to right scored Liberal’s eighth run.

Liberal’s bullpen was solid as Texas-Arlington’s Kasey Merck pitched a scoreless inning before Hawaii’s Brent Harrison put up two scoreless innings for the win.

Ryan Walker was 4-4 with an RBI. Riley Good was 2-4 with two RBI’s. Blake Bergeron drove home two runs and Eddie Arroyo was 2-5 with an RBI and a triple.

Liberal is 8-1 overall and 1-1 in the Jayhawk while Derby falls to 5-1 and 2-1 in the Jayhawk League.

The same two teams meet Saturday night at Brent Gould Field at 7 p.m. Ruffino’s is the buyout sponsor for Don Carlile Memorial Night. Carlile was a long time recruiter and board member for the BJ’s.