Game one was a classic pitcher’s dual. Game two was a classic collapse for the Liberal baseball team. On a beautiful Good Friday afternoon at the National Beef Sports Complex, the results were humbling for LHS as the Hays Indians swept the Liberal Redskins 1-0 in eight innings in game one and 16-1 in five innings in game two.
In game one, Liberal’s Brooks Kappelmann hooked up with Hays hurler Nolan Dreher for a pitcher’s dual. Both worked into the eighth inning of a scoreless game before the KSHSAA pitch count rule of 105 pitches caused both to be lifted. Hays mustered four hits and Liberal scratched out three hits. The Redskins had a golden opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the seventh after Marco Alonso laced a double down the right field line to lead off the inning. That placed the winning run on second with no outs. But a ground out to short turned into a 6-3-5 double play. Liberal balked home the one run in the game in the eighth. The Hays hitter struck out on the very next pitch. Landon Martinez singled to lead off the eighth and place the tying run on. They had first and second with two outs and the reigning WAC player of the year Brooks Kappelmann up to bat. But a Liberal base runner was picked off of first base to end the game. Kappelmann was Epic Touch Player of the Game with 7 and 2/3 innings, 10 strikeouts and two walks.
Liberal struggled in almost every way in game two. The Indians scored in every innings plating one in the first, one in the second, three in the third, three in the fourth, and eight in the fifth. LHS pitching walked nine but the defense behind the pitching also struggled committing six errors in five innings. LHS only mustered three hits. The only highlight came in the first as Zayden Martinez ripped a triple past the right fielder. He scored when Marco Alonso laced another double down the right field line.
Liberal has lost 10 in a row against Hays. Hays is 4-0 and 2-0 in the WAC. Liberal is 2-2 and 0-2 in the WAC. The Redskins play at Goddard Eisenhower Tuesday at 4pm.
