After home losses to Fort Collins and a road loss to Gameday, the Liberal Bee Jays were 8-5 in the Rocky Mountain League.  At that same time, the Hays Larks lost their first league game falling to 16-1 overall and 11-1 in the Rocky Mountain.  But after Liberal’s 11-2 win over the Hays Larks Wednesday night at Brent Gould Field, the two NBC blue bloods are both 16-6 in league play and tied for first with two games to play in league.

For a second straight game, the Bee Jays scored five in the first.  Liberal scored their first run on a Hays error.  Josiah Rojas cleared the bases with a three RBI double to left center.  Liberal scored another run on an error.  Hays walked three and committed two errors in the first.  The B.J.’s added two more in the second.  William Bologna and Cole Manuel singled to lead off the inning.  With two outs, Josiah Rojas ripped a single up the middle to score two.  Hays hit a home run in the third to make it 7-1 and scored on a wild pitch in the fourth to trail 7-2.  Josiah Rojas hit another two out single in the bottom of the fourth to give Liberal an 8-2 lead.  Liberal added three in the seventh without a hit.  William Bologna and Cole Manuel drove home runs.

Liberal out-hit Hays 10-5.  Hays had three errors and Liberal had none.  Hays walked 10 B.J. batters.

Josiah Rojas was Black Hills Energy Player of the Game going 3-5 with six RBI’s.  Cade Adams was 2-4.  Andrew Banda picked up the win with six innings pitched and six strikeouts.  Sean Saiz worked two scoreless innings.  Stephen Brown worked a scoreless inning.

Hays falls to 23-6 overall and 16-6 in the Rocky Mountain.  Liberal is 19-9-1 overall and 16-6 in the Rocky Mountain.  It’s the first time the Bee Jays have won the season series with Hays since 2019.  Liberal plays at Dodge City Friday night at 7pm with pre-game at 6:45 on 1270 and 92.3 FM.