NJCAA team run-rules Liberal in its NBC opener
The argument for assembling a collection of previously unconnected baseball players was made at the National Baseball Congress World Series hours before the Kansas Stars took the field.
The NJCAA national team, built specifically for the tournament, made an impressive debut on Saturday. Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit as the NJCAA stars defeated Liberal 12-4 in an eight-inning run-rule game at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
The game was the first in pool play. The NJCAA team plays the Stars, a team with 26 former major-leaguers, on Wednesday. Roger Clemens is scheduled to pitch for the Stars.
“We’re really salty,” NJCAA infielder Brylie Ware said. “We have the pitching, and I think we have the bats. If we all come together and play as a team, we can make some noise in this tournament.”
Liberal didn’t boast a pitcher like Clemens on Saturday, but the NJCAA team overmatched the Bee Jays nonetheless, notching 18 hits. After NJCAA scored without a hit in the first, Ware homered to start the top of the second inning for a 2-0 lead.
Ware, a Sedgwick High product, was the NJCAA Division I player of the year for Neosho this season. He signed with Oklahoma after batting .589 with 29 home runs and 122 RBIs, all of which led the nation.
The NJCAA team began to break it open in a less-powerful third inning. All four of its hits were singles, and two were bunt singles intended as sacrifices. Nos. 2 and 3 hitters Jax Biggers and Devlin Granberg attempted to move runners over but instead got on base themselves as Liberal struggled with its bunt defense.
“(Bunting) just kind of shows the versatility,” Ware said. “We all have different stuff that we’re good at. Everybody is here for the team.”
Liberal stayed within reach despite NJCAA scoring in each of the first five innings. The Bee Jays scored two in the third – one on the first of Kyle Knauth’s two doubles. Liberal added a run the fifth, answering Handsome Monica’s home run for NJCAA as Knauth scored following his second double to make it 7-4.
More defensive mistakes by Liberal helped the NJCAA extend its lead to a more insurmountable level with three runs in the seventh. NJCAA made it 10-4 after another bunt-related miscue.
A throw to third base after a sacrifice was wild, allowing NJCAA to score two runs. Another scored on a wild pitch.
The NJCAA scored two in the eighth to put the game into run-rule territory. The team, in its second year in the tournament, improved to 4-2 since its start. Last year, it started 3-0 before losing to Santa Barbara and Seattle, who have combined to win the last five championships.
Liberal started championship week in a hole after advancing from the opening week with a 4-0 record. The Bee Jays used six pitchers, potentially leaving them thin for their game against the Stars on Monday night.
NJCAA | 113 | 110 | 32 | — | 12 18 0 |
Liberal | 002 | 110 | 00 | — | 4 6 2 |
W—Buckler. L—Harrison. HR—Monica, NJCAA; Ware, NJCAA.
NJCAA batting: Gates 2-4, Tatum 0-1, Biggers 2-5, Granberg 1-5, Monica 1-4, Ware 2-5, Aplin 4-4, Irby 0-1, Morimoto 3-3, Malone 1-4, Mallard 2-4.
NJCAA pitching: Still 2-2, Buckler 2-1, Pflughaupt 2-1, Stone 1-0, Barton 1-0.
Liberal batting: Reinschmidt 0-2, Mumper 0-3, Knauth 2-4, O’Donnell 0-4, Brewster 0-3, Cox 1-3, Taylor 0-1, Bogart 1-3, Robinson 2-3, Radcliffe 0-2.
Liberal pitching: Harrison 2 2/3-4, Hansen 1 2/3-2, Ventura 2-2, Stretch 2/3-0, Craft 2-3-2, Moreland 1/3-0.
NBC World Series
At Lawrence-Dumont Stadium
Sunday’s Pool Play
- Haysville vs. Fairbanks, 2 p.m.
- Santa Barbara vs. Austin, 4:30
- San Diego Waves vs. Hays, 7
- Hutchinson vs. Northwest (Wash.), 9:30
Monday’s Pool Play
- San Diego Force vs. Valley Center, 2 p.m.
- NJCAA vs. Sterling (Colo.), 4:30
- Liberal vs. Kansas Stars, 7
- Dodge City vs. Seattle, 9:30
Tuesday’s Pool Play
- Austin vs. Haysville, 2 p.m.
- Northwest (Wash.) vs. Hays, 4:30
- Fairbanks vs. Santa Barbara, 7
- San Diego Waves vs. Hutchinson
Wednesday’s Pool Play
- Sterling (Colo.) vs. Liberal, 2 p.m.
- Seattle vs. San Diego Force, 4:30
- NJCAA vs. Kansas Stars, 7
- Valley Center vs. Dodge City, 9:30
This story was originally published August 7, 2016 at 6:51 AM with the headline "NJCAA team run-rules Liberal in its NBC opener."