Sports

By EARL WATT

• Leader & Times

The Liberal Bee Jays used a strong pitching performance by Jason Davis to earn a 4-1 win in Game 1 against Rocky Mountain League-leading Hays Wednesday in Game 1 of a double header, but the Bee Jay pitching staff was rocked by the Larks in Game 2 in a 14-8 loss.

Davis allowed one run in the second inning. He gave up two hits and walked four while striking out six in is innings.

With a strong effort on the mound, the Bee Jays were able to belt out seven hits and score four runs.

Matt Bernath was the first to cross the plate in the first inning off an RBI single by Carson Willis.

After the Larks tied the game in the second, the Bee Jays took the lead in the fourth when Jack Ryan scored off an RBI single by Bernath.

Liberal added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth with a Drew Garcia solo home run and an RBI double by Jacob Ortega that scored Ryan, and Liberal had a 4-1 lead.

Aden Bowman relieved Davis and pitched a scoreless seventh to secure the win.

But the Larks bats came to life in Game 2, and the Larks strung together big inning after big inning to take a 14-2 lead into the seventh inning. The Bee Jays scored six runs in the final inning including a grand slam, but they fell short 14-8.

The two teams face off today in the rubber game of the series at Brent Gould Field. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m.

EARL WATT

   • Leader & Times

Back-to-back losses are rare in the historic legacy of the Liberal Bee Jays, and three in a row are even harder to recall.

But the Bee Jays dropped three straight over the weekend to the Colorado Roughriders and salvaged the final game of the series against position players taking the mound for the Roughriders.

Liberal’s struggles began Thursday in a 10-5 loss.

EARL WATT

   • Leader & Times

Despite a five-run first inning against the Dodge City A’s on the road Tuesday, the Bee Jays had to sweat it our late to earn a 7-5 win and move to 5-3 in the Rocky Mountain League.

Liberal used a three-run home run by Carson Willis to spark a five-run first inning, and the A’s were in an early hole. But the A’s settled down and put together five straight scoreless innings.

KATIE WOODS

    • NBC Baseball Executive Director

We’re excited to invite all former Bee Jays players and coaches to a very special NBC World Series Alumni Weekend in Wichita. This is your chance to reconnect with teammates, relive the excitement of NBC baseball, and celebrate the incredible history of the Liberal Bee Jays at the NBC.