The Jefferson City Jays dropped both games of a doubleheader against the Class 6 No. 4 Liberty Bluejays on Saturday at Vivion Field.
The defending Class 6 state champion Bluejays used a big fifth inning in Game 1 to run away with a 7-0 victory against the Jays.
Zac Arnold got the start on the mound for Jefferson City and was able to shut down Liberty for the first three innings while dancing around a pair of singles in the first inning and a walk in the third.
“He threw the ball well there in the first four innings, kept those guys off balance,” Jefferson City coach Kyle Lasley said. “A team like that is going to make adjustments as the game goes on, and they did. Once you see him two or three times through the order, you really got to start mixing it up, which I thought he did a good job of early. But once they start timing up all of the offspeed and fastballs, it gets pretty tough if you’re not an overpowering pitcher who has really, really good stuff.”
Liberty started to make its adjustments on Arnold in the fourth inning.
Jeremiah Cabuyaban collected a one-out double to right field and later scored on an RBI single by Dane Moberly to give the Bluejays a 1-0 lead. After walking the next batter and a passed ball moving the runners into scoring position, Dylan Wallace made a diving catch in right field to end the inning and save two runs from scoring.
Arnold ran into some bad luck during the big fifth inning.
After a leadoff double, Palmer Holst laid down a perfect bunt for a single to put runners on the corners. Addison Smith drove in the runner from third base two batters later with a bunt of his own that resulted in an error and him reaching first.
Liberty kept the rally going with two outs as Parker McGee drove in a pair with a triple deep into right-center field and scored on the next batter when Moberly dumped a bloop single in. The Bluejays scored their fifth run of the inning on the next batter when Aden Holst was able to get a bloop single of his own to fall to make the game 6-0.
The Bluejays added another run in the top of the seventh inning and closed the door on Jefferson City for the seven-run victory.
Connor Earleywine and Eli Miller led the Jays’ offense in Game 1 with two hits a piece. Arnold finished his day on the mound after five innings of work, allowing six runs (one earned) on nine hits and three walks to go along with his four strikeouts.
Liberty carried its hot hitting from late in Game 1 into Game 2 and cruised to a 11-0 run-rule victory in five innings.
The Bluejays were held off the board in the first inning but broke through for three runs in the top of the second on three hits and a sacrifice fly to grab an early 3-0 lead off Will Berendzen on the mound.
Jefferson City had the chance to respond in the bottom half but stranded runners on the corners on a called third strike.
Liberty used the momentum and put the game out of reach in the top of the third.
The Bluejays sent 13 batters to the plate and used eight hits to go along with a walk to plate eight runs and make the game 11-0.
The Jays saw their best chance to score in the bottom of the third.
A fly out to right field started the inning, but a Brody Johns double, an Earleywine walk and a Miller single loaded the bases with one out. A short fly ball to center field kept the bases loaded while recording the second out before a fielder’s choice got Liberty out of the inning unscathed.
Jefferson City stranded eight runners on base in the five-inning contest.
“We had some guys get on,” Lasley said. “You got to get on, get them over and get them in. We got on a few times, we got them over, but we left the bases loaded a couple of times and left runners on first and third. Somebody has to step up and get the big hit.”
Liberty was able to dance around a walk and a single in the fourth inning without allowing a run and closed out the run-rule win with a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth.
McGee led the way for Liberty (25-9) at the plate in Game 2 by going 3-for-3 with 2 RBI.
Jordan Martin, Johns, Miller and Earleywine each collected a hit for the Jays (6-22).
Jefferson City will play three games during the final week of the regular season, starting with hosting Blair Oaks at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Vivion Field, before starting the Class 5 District 5 Tournament at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex on May 16 as the No. 8 seed against top-seeded Camdenton.
“Districts are tough anyways, it doesn’t matter who you play, everyone’s record is 0-0,” Lasley said. “We are probably going to see one of their better arms, they are probably going to see one of our better arms. We will see what happens. Obviously you have to win that first one to keep moving on. Hopefully we are ready to go by the time that comes.