BJ’s Fall Back Down to Earth in Dodge City

The Liberal BJ’s dug themselves too big of a hole Sunday night in a 12-8 at loss at Dodge City. The A’s jumped on BJ starter Austin King for seven runs in the first two innings. The BJ’s cut the lead to 10-8 before the seventh inning stretch, but couldn’t hold off a determined Dodge who snapped a six game Jayhawk League losing streak.

The A’s scored three in the first and four in the second. Three runs in the second were unearned but King didn’t make it out of the second lasting one and two-thirds innings.

The Bee Jays rallied scoring two in the third when Nicholls State’s Seth Stevens blasted a two run homer for his second of the season. UTA’s Darrien McLemore led off the fourth with a homer to right center for his first of the season. Lubbock Christian’s Wigberto Nevarez singled home a run in the fifth to make it 7-4. But Dodge City scored two in the bottom of the inning. One run scored on a wild pitch and another on an error as Liberal’s catcher made an errant toss to home plate trying to throw out the first runner.

The A’s took a 10-4 lead with a run in the sixth, but the BJ’s rallied on the seventh scoring four. Grayson’s Zach Reding doubled home a run followed by South Dakota State’s Sam Pack driving a two RBI double down the left field line. Another run scored on a wild pitch. The BJ’s had runners on second and third with one out and a chance to tie but the next two BJ hitters struck out. The A’s added two more in the seventh.

Liberal is 17-12 overall and 11-12 in the Jayhawk while Dodge City is 13-19 overall and 6-16 in the Jayhawk. Wellington beat Derby 12-5 in Derby Sunday night. The Bee Jays fall to fourth and play a three game series against third place Wellington Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights at Wellington on Talkradio 1270 and kscbnews.net.

Standings

Hays 15-8

El Dorado 15-9

Wellington 12-11

Liberal 11-12

Derby 11-14

Dodge City 6-16