EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
Dodge City may have had the Liberal Redskins on the ropes Tuesday, but they couldn’t deliver the knockout blow, and a late rally sparked by Landon Martinez and Alex Schwindt led to a standing eight count before the knockout blow hit the dazed Demons in extra innings.
Dodge City trickled runs across the plate throughout the game, including one in the first, two in the second, one in the third, two in the fifth and another in the sixth to take a 7-0 lead.
Liberal had base runners in the first five innings but couldn’t get a key two-out hit.
Liberal finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth for a pair of runs, and Schwindt took over on the mound and held the Red Demons scoreless in the seventh.
Liberal started to rally and pushed four runs across the plate and trailed 7-6 with two outs when Schwindt came to the plate and hit a shot to left that scored the tying run.
Liberal left two runners stranded at second and third after a popout by Marco Alonso.
Schwindt tossed another shutout inning, but Liberal could not score, either.
Dodge pushed a run across the plate in the ninth, and the Redskins were down to their last out before rallying with a hit from Landon Martinez, his fourth hit of the game, and Schwindt hit a bloop to right to score the tying run.
Alonso came to the plate and hit a pop to second with Martinez trotting home from third, but the Red Demons couldn’t make the catch as the ball fell harmlessly to the dirt, and the Redskins charged the field with the 9-8 win.
Liberal took the season series against Dodge City 2-1 and will host Hays today for the regular season finale.
