Bee Jays Win Wild One Over Rangers

The Liberal Bee Jays almost saw their season reduced to one more meaningless game Sunday night.  But a two run rally in the ninth saved the season and gave Liberal an 8-7 win over the Kansas Collegiate League’s Park City Rangers Sunday night at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

The Rangers scored three in the first against starter Jake Harrison.  The Bee Jays chased home two in the third when Cale O’Donnell singled home two.  Park City, coach by 2012 BJ John Branum, scored one in the fourth to lead 4-2.  Liberal bolted ahead with four in the fifth.  Marc Mumper laced a one out double to right and O’Donnell singled him home.  Brady Cox singled home a second run.  Jaron Robinson grounded out to score a run and Blake Brewster scored on a wild pitch for a 6-4 lead.  Park City scored single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh against the BJ bullpen to grab a 7-6 lead.  Liberal came through in the ninth.  Brewster was hit by a pitch and Cox grounded a single to left to begin the inning.  Cody Bogart laid down a sac bunt.  Jaron Robinson singled home a run to tie it.  With two outs, Luke Reinschmidt singled to right center to score Cox but Kendall Radcliffe was thrown out at home.  The Rangers threatened against BJ closer Lee Busto in the ninth with a single and an error.  But Busto got a strikeout and two groundouts to third for his fifth save.  Liberal out-hit Park City 14-12.

Jakob Hernandez was a key contributor out of the bullpen with 1 and 2/3 innings scoreless with four strikeouts.  Mumper was 3-4 and Reinschmidt was 3-5.

Liberal faces the Fort Worth Whitetails Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. in Wichita on 1270 and kscbnews.net.  If Liberal wins, they advance to Thursday for a winner take all play in into the championship week of the NBC.  Liberal is 23-22 and Park City is 23-20.