Liberty and Grain Valley reached the Missouri high school baseball semifinals with hard-fought victories Saturday in the state semifinals of their respective classifications.
The Blue Jays of Liberty became the first team to qualify for the Class 6 semifinals, beating Raymore-Peculiar 5-2 at the Pleasant Hill Rec Complex. The Jays next get a Friday final four matchup in Ozark against the winner of a later Christian Brothers College-vs.-Lindbergh quarterfinal.
With Ray-Pec leading 2-0 in Saturday’s state quarterfinal, Liberty scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on just two hits. LHS added its final run in the bottom of the sixth.
Ray-Pec pieced together a two-out, seventh-inning rally, loading the bases via a throwing error, walk and single, but a flyout ended it.
The other two Class 6 baseball quarterfinals Saturday featured Francis Howell vs. Fort Zumwalt West and Jefferson City vs. Republic. The winners of those two games will meet in next Friday’s other state semifinal in Ozark.
Class 5 Grain Valley, meanwhile, beat Smithville 7-3. It’s Grain Valley’s first final four appearance in 17 years.
The Eagles will play Rockwood Summit, an 11-4 victor Saturday over Festus, for a spot in the Class 5 championship game at 11 a.m. Friday. The other Friday Class 5 semifinal will pit Fort Zumwalt South against Willard.
This story will be updated.