EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
After surviving a late rally by the Colorado Lumberjax Saturday, the Liberal Bee Jays dominated on the mound and at the plate Sunday to complete a two-game sweep.
After giving up a first-inning run Saturday, the Bee Jays reeled off 10 unanswered runs through the sixth inning to take a 10-1 lead.
The Bee Jays used an RBI sacrifice fly and a passed ball to score two runs in the second inning to take a 2-1 lead.
Adam Swanson hit a three-run RBI double in the fifth, and Cade Adams added an RBI single to score Swanson later in the inning, and the Bee Jays had a 6-1 lead.
Jhett Huffman scored in the sixth off an RBI single by William Bologna, Bologna later scored off a fielder’s choice by Josiah Rojas.
Swanson drove the ball deep over the left field fence with Rojas on base for a two-RBI home run, and the Bee Jays had a 10-1 lead.
Liberal only needed one run to enact the run rule. But they never got it, and the Lumberjax started to rally with two runs in the seventh that cut Liberal’s lead to 10-3.
Colorado continued to cut into the lead with a two-RBI single followed by an RBI single and a home run in the eighth to cut Liberal’s lead to 10-8.
The Lumberjax cut the lead to 10-9 with an RBI single in the ninth and had runners at second and third before the Bee Jays recorded the final out to secure the 10-9 win.
Aiden Cook struggled in relief and allowed six runs before Swanson took the mound and recorded the final two outs in the ninth.
Brooks Kappelmann got the start Sunday, and he did not allow a hit while walking four and striking out nine in five innings.
When Kappelmann came off the mound, the Bee Jays had a 10-0 lead.
Stephen Brown relieved Kappelmann and pitched two no-hit innings while walking one and striking out two.
While the pitchers were shutting down the Lumberjax, the batters cranked out 17 hits and scored 13 runs.
Catcher Cole Manuel led the Bee Jays with three hits and four RBIs.
Cooper Kardokus had a pair of hits and three RBIs.
Bologna, Ben Finnegan, Swanson, Trenton Uyeda and Seth Green all had two hits in the 13-0 run rule win.
Liberal is slated to host Dodge City tonight.
