The Liberal Rattler 18u team went 2-2 at at Goddard tournament this weekend. On Saturday the Rattlers topped the Wichita Grays 15-4 and lost to the Wichita Canes 10-4 in the evening game. Early Sunday morning Liberal topped a younger Wichita Canes team 8-1 before falling to the Kansas Rattlers 5-3.
On Saturday afternoon against the Grays, the Rattlers scored in every inning on their way to a run rule win. Liberal scored one in the first, two in the second, three in the third, two in the fourth, and seven in the fifth. Liberal out-hit the Grays 9-8. Nathan Knelsen pitched a complete game going all five innings for the win. Offensively, Bren Kappelmann was 3-4. Bentlee Betts was 2-5 with a triple, a double, and three RBI’s. Blayden Betts was 2-3. Landon Martinez tripled and Alec Madden doubled.
Saturday evening, the Rattlers played a Wichita Canes team who wound up winning the tournament. Liberal scored four in the first but the Canes plated three in the second and four in the third. They added three more in the fifth. The Canes out-hit the Rattlers 9-3. Blayden Betts went 2-3. Jackson Stanfield was 1-3 with a three RBI triple.
The Rattlers began bracket play bright and early Sunday morning with an 8:30 AM game against another Wichita Canes team. Liberal scored in their first five innings on the way to an 8-1 win. Alex Schwindt pitched all seven innings in 86 pitches with five strikeouts and two walks for the win. Schwindt was 1-2 at the plate with two RBI’s and two runs.
The Kansas Rattlers eliminated the Liberal Rattlers in a late morning early afternoon game 5-3. But Liberal out-hit the Kansas Rattlers 6-2. Liberal pitching walked nine in the loss. The Kansas Rattlers scored one in the third and four in the fourth as Liberal missed multiple scoring opportunities and didn’t cross home plate until a three run seventh. Landon Martinez was 2-3 with a triple. Bren Kappelmann was 2-3. Jackson Stanfield and Alex Schwindt also tripled.
Liberal is 5-10 and plays in Garden City’s tournament on Saturday.
