It was another rough sixth inning for the Bee Jays Friday night at Brent Gould Field. This time a rough seventh followed and was enough to send the Bee Jays packing up early before another matchup with the Rough Riders this evening. Rough Riders run rule the Bee Jays in game two of this four-game homestand, 13-2. Much like the first game between these two teams on Thursday night, it was a slow start for both teams. Unlike Thursday; however, it would be the Bee Jays who would strike first in game two picking up two runs in the second left the score 2-0 heading into the third. Both Carson Willis and Jack Ryan would score in the second on a Rough Rider error when a mishandled JT Cox chopper with two out sent everyone running.
The Rough Riders would answer with two runs of their own in the top of the third on a Jake Willerup two RBI double. For Bee Jays starting pitcher Josh Reed, those two and one run in the fifth would be the only blemishes on an otherwise great outing. Reed finished the night with five complete innings giving up those two runs on his way to striking out eight Rough Riders to his four walks and one hit batter. He had five strikeouts in the first two innings and eight before starting the fifth inning. He struck out five of the first nine batters he faced.
What was the same this time around was the sixth inning. The Bee Jays defense was again cracked wide open as the Bee Jays used two pitchers to give up five runs as the Rough Riders would bat through the lineup before a double play by Landon Bruce stopped the rally. The rally would continue in the seventh when the Rough Riders added five more runs. With the score 13-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning the Bee Jays would go three-up, three-down unable to avoid the run rule.
The Bee Jays move to 6-5 on the season and 5-5 in league play. They will have the Rough Riders two more times before the weekend is over and they have their opportunity to even the series with another 7 p.m. matchup with the Rough Riders tonight and a chance to even the series on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. The Voice of Bee Jay Baseball, Brock Kappelmann, will bring you all the coverage as they look to pick up the next two to even the series on the Home of Bee Jay Baseball KSCB 1270 AM.
