Redskins drop season finale to Dodge City, 5-3

EARL WATT • Leader & Times

Liberal finished the regular season at 10-10 after dropping the final three games of the season including a 5-3 loss in the regular season finale to Dodge City.

Liberal split with Dodge City, Great Bend and Garden City and dropped both games against Hays.

Liberal defeated Dodge City 7-2 earlier in the year at home, but they struggled at the plate Tuesday against the Red Demons.

Still, Liberal outhit Dodge City 6-5 but couldn’t advance the runners across the plate.

Liberal took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, but the Red Demons got to starter Zayden martinez in the bottom of the third and pushed three runs across the plate to take a 3-1 lead.

Brooks Kappelmann came on in relief of Martinez to stop the Red Demon threat.

The Redskins tied the game in the top of the fourth with two runs, but Dodge City responded with a lone run in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-3 lead.

The Red Demons pushed a run across in the bottom of the sixth, and the Redskins couldn’t respond in the top of the seventh and fell 5-3.

Martinez pitched two-and-a-third innings and allowed three runs without a hit but walked five while striking out three.

Kappelmann allowed two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out four. Kappelmann also helped himself at the plate with two hits.

Aidan Schwindt had two RBIs, and Martinez had an RBI in the loss.

Marco Alonso, Landon Martinez and Fidel Avila also had hits. Alonso’s hit was a double.

At 10-10, Liberal is currently the No. 9  seed in the Class 6A West Division. Liberal will likely face the current No. 8 seed Wichita Heights (10-8) in the first round of the playoffs. 

The winner of that game would most likely face No.1 seed Manhattan (16-1).