THE MONDAY HIVE: Bergeron Brings Power To Bees’ Lineup

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Rowen Bergeron is a long way from home, but he brought his power with him.

Bergeron hasn’t been with the Burlington Bees as long as some of the others — there was this little matter of playing in the NJCAA World Series — but in his time with the team has put himself among the Prospect League leaders in home runs.

Bergeron has played in 18 games with the Bees, but is tied for fourth in the league with eight home runs. By contrast, Springfield’s Griffin Novacek, who leads the league with 13 home runs, has played in 33.

Bergeron said his approach at the plate has made a difference.

“I’ve always swung it pretty well,” said Bergeron, a freshman this season at LSU-Eunice who is from Sunset, Louisiana. “I’ve always hit the ball pretty hard, but I think I’ve kind of unlocked a little bit of power when I started relaxing at the plate. What has worked for me is I haven’t been trying to get a hit, but I’ve been trying to hit the ball hard. I can’t really focus on the result or the outcome. All I can focus on is if I hit the ball, they’ve got nine guys out there that are trying to get me out. So all I can do is me versus the pitcher. I’m going to hit the ball hard wherever it goes, and sometimes that’s over the fence.”

Bergeron only had two home runs in 24 games for LSU-Eunice this season, but Bees manager Owen Oreskovich knew he could be a power hitter in the middle of the lineup.

“When I was recruiting him to come here, I looked up his numbers on Prep Baseball Report and they were impressive,” Oreskovich said.

Bergeron didn’t play his first game with the Bees until June 10 — LSU-Eunice had qualified for the NJCAA Division I World Series, where the Bengals’ run ended in three games.

Bergeron then made the 15-hour drive to come to a place where he had never been.

“It was definitely something,” he said of the adjustment. “Obviously, switching to a wood bat, that takes time. But the atmosphere, it’s really not that much different from Louisiana. The food’s a little different, but the people are super nice in Burlington. They’ve kind of welcomed me. My teammates welcomed me. They’re super great, super encouraging, and the transition has been really great.

“I love this place.”

It helped that some of Bergeron’s family came to see him play in a three-day home stretch in late June. They got to see his two-homer game against Quincy in a 12-2 win on June 23, but just having them here meant a lot to Bergeron.

“I mean, they’re driving up here, 15 hours, just coming here for three days,” Bergeron said. “They got to cook me some good Louisiana food, some gumbo. So it was amazing. I got to play in front of them, and they brought my grandma.I was lonesome for them. I’m far from home, so I was glad I got to see them.”

Bergeron has hit .309 for the Bees. He had driven in 21 runs, and scored 21 runs, but his impact has been felt off the field as well, Oreskovich said

“He’s very relaxed,” Oreskovich said. “He doesn’t let the last out bother him, he just gets back at it. So it’s a really, really cool thing to watch. Also, he’s an incredible human being. He’s got the positive vibes in the dugout. He means a lot to this team.”

Bergeron has appreciated the pace of summer baseball, but said the relationships he has made have been just as important. It’s something he has reflected on as the season heads into its final weeks.

“It’s going to be over, and I think about that often,” he said. “I just moved into a (host) family for two months that I love now, and I’m going to leave, and I might not see them again for a long time. I love them — they’ve been taking care of me for two months, so it’s kind of going to be hard to tell them goodbye. The relationships I built over here at the ballpark … summer ball is a crazy thing. You make best friends, and then it’s over.”

Bergeron is going to head back to LSU-Eunice to contend for a starting spot, and hopes to attract the attention of four-year schools.

“It gets super intense in the South,” said Bergeron, who grew up as an LSU fan. “Obviously, we’re big into sports — we’ve got LSU and we’re in the Southeastern Conference and all that. Sports is just massive over there. It’s sweltering. It’s humid. It’s intense. But I mean, that’s where I grew up. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I love it.”

He’s gotten to experience the sports interest in Iowa living with Matt and Anika McVey, his host parents. Matt is a big Iowa fan, Bergeron said, and he’s found that out being in their home.

“The room I’m living in is just decorated with Iowa stuff,” Bergeron said, laughing. “But I think I’ll slip something from LSU in there before I leave.”

Photo: Rowen Bergeron watches one of the eight home runs he has hit for the Burlington Bees this season. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

BEES 8, PISTOL SHRIMP 7: Battling Back To Keep Pace

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It was a game that couldn’t get away, and the Burlington Bees made sure it didn’t.

Juan Fernandez scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the 11th inning to lead the Bees to an 8-7 win over the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp in Sunday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.

The Bees (19-21 overall, 8-7 second half) stayed three games behind the Clinton LumberKings for the second-half playoff spot in the Northwest Division.

Burlington tied the game in the ninth and 10th innings to stay alive, then grabbed the win in the 11th.

“Every win matters now,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “It was a whole team effort tonight, and these guys want to win.”

Fernandez, who started the inning on second base on the league’s extra-inning rule, moved to third with one out when a pickoff throw from Illinois Valley pitcher Kaeden Schatsiek (0-2) went into center field. Rowen Bergeron walked, and Troy Peltz was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Illinois Valley brought the infield in, but with Johnnie Ankenbruck at the plate Schatsiek’s wild pitch got past catcher Owen Anderson, allowing Fernandez to race home as the Bees celebrated.

“I kind of think that’s been our MO all season,” Oreskovich said. “We haven’t won a couple games that we probably should have, but we’ve been in them by coming back late. Stuff like that tends to turn one way or the other sooner or later. You start winning games like that, and then you expect to win them. That’s really important.”

The Bees tied the game in the ninth inning when Fernandez scored on a passed ball. Then, after the Pistol Shrimp scored two runs in the top of the 10th, Burlington matched that in the bottom of the inning when Peltz scored on Tanner Reinartz’s RBI single and Tate Slagle scored on a dropped popup by Illinois Valley shortstop Joey Ireland.

Burlington got out of the top of the 11th without surrendering a run. Third baseman Dalton Miller threw out Chase Roberts at the plate, and then with two on and two out Bees reliever Zach Troxel (3-0) got Ethan Silva to ground out to end the inning.

The Bees led 4-3 going into the sixth, but surrendered the lead when Silva singled in Drew Church and Tyler Reyburn scored on Ireland’s sacrifice fly.

The Bees have Monday off and will play at Quincy on Tuesday.

Photo: Juan Fernandez (5) gets a hug from Burlington Bees teammate Mitchell Cox after scoring the winning run in Sunday’s game against Illinois Valley. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

Three Former Bees Selected In MLB Draft

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Three former Burlington Bees went in the final rounds of the Major League Baseball draft on Sunday — a sign, Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said, of what has been built in the organization’s six seasons in the Prospect League.

Outfielder Owen Nowak went to the Houston Astros in the 12th round. Outfielder Caleb Klein went in the 15th round to the Atlanta Braves. Infielder Kooper Schulte was selected in the 20th round by the New York Mets.

“It’s really cool,” Oreskovich said after the Bees’ 8-7 win over the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp on Sunday at Community Field. “You know, it’s really exciting, especially for the organization, this town, and you know, for me too a little bit.”

All three players played for Oreskovich last season, with Schulte also playing for the Bees in 2023.

“Three unbelievable guys, too,” Oreskovich said. “They’re very talented at baseball, but they’re incredible human beings too. It means a lot for this organization, and I think it’s really cool that all three of them were on the team last year (the first Bees team to qualify for the Prospect League playoffs).”

Nowak hit .364 with the Bees last season with three home runs and 28 runs batted in. He batted .318 this season at Middle Tennessee State this season, with eight home runs and 37 runs batted in.

Klein batted .307 with two home runs and 23 RBIs last season for the Bees. He hit .316 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs for Southeast Missouri State this season.

Schulte, a local product from nearby New London, Iowa, hit .373 with the Bees in 2023, then hit .341 with four home runs and 48 RBIs last season. He played two seasons at Iowa, hitting .268 last season and .274 this season.

Oreskovich said putting players into professional baseball can be a selling point to recruiting players to join the Bees in the college summer league.

“You can tell guys who you want to come here, ‘Hey, look at what we’ve done,’” Oreskovich said. “I’ve used that in the past but yeah, you can use that as a selling point for sure. Hopefully we get a couple more drafted here in the next couple years, and I think we can.”

Photo: Kooper Schulte was one of three former Burlington Bees selected in the Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Kudronowicz’s Relaxed Approach At The Plate Is Working

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Adam Kudronowicz came to the Burlington Bees this summer as a two-way player.

His biggest impact has been at the plate.

Kudronowicz is hitting .390 heading into the two-day All-Star break, ranking seventh in the Prospect League. He is coming off a week in which he hit .520, including back-to-back 4-for-4 games against the Clinton LumberKings as part of a streak in which he reached base in 10 consecutive plate appearances.

Kudronowicz, coming off his freshman season at Iowa Western Community College, has taken a calm approach at the plate in his first college summer league experience, and it’s working.

“I think it’s just being relaxed, and just really telling yourself, ‘I have adjustability, I’m an athlete,’” Kudronowicz said. “Try not to think about it, not stressing about anything too much, kind of just go out and play and like flowing, not forcing anything.

“Him in the box right now, I don’t think there’s anyone hotter,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “He’s taking good pitches, swinging the pitches you should swing at, and he’s getting the barrel on a lot. How he’s taking his (at-bats), he’s kind of relaxed, more chill, I would say.”

It’s an important summer for Kudronowicz, who played in 19 games at Iowa Western with just 26 at-bats, while making just two appearances as a pitcher, throwing just ⅔ of an inning.

Kudronowicz has made three pitching appearances with the Bees, with a 2.70 earned run average in 3 ⅓ innings. His biggest contribution has been at first base and as a designated hitter.

“I was thinking of him as a two-way player when he came here,” Oreskovich said. “But he’s been hitting the ball so well.”

“I think kind of one of my bigger focuses was seeing where I would be at it in the mound,” Kudronowicz said. “Coming into last fall, I saw myself as more of a pitcher. I think it’s kind of shifted, so I kind of wanted to just give myself this summer to see where I stood as a two-way player, and I think like my hitting has really just blossomed. It kind of showed me what to focus on.”

Kudronowicz, who was a third-team all-state selection as a senior at Mukwanago High School in Eagle, Wisconsin, had committed to play baseball at the Division I level at Central Florida before the NCAA put in new roster limits.

“I get a call that I’ve got to find a new home,” Kudronowicz said. “So I go out (on social media) and I post that I’m now uncommitted and within five minutes I have Iowa Western reach out to me saying, ‘Hey, we’re interested. I think them being the first school to reach out just put them on the map. I visited a handful of schools but when I went to Iowa Western it was stunning. The stuff they told me, I could see myself really developing there, so that was my choice.

“It was disappointing (not going to Central Florida, but it was also kind of just trusting God’s plan, understanding that that wasn’t necessarily the path for me. You see all of the guys go D-I and just end up transferring after one year. I didn’t want to fall into any trap like that, so I think going somewhere like Iowa Western just is going to help me in the long run.”

Kudronowicz started the summer with just three hits in 22 at-bats but has hit .491 since then. He was the Prospect League’s hitter of the week for the week of June 16-22, when he hit .583 with six doubles.

“Att first I was kind of like I didn’t know how to adjust (to the wood bat),” he said. “I was downsizing my bat, NowI’m swinging just as long and as heavy as I did with the metal bat, kind of just treating it the same, not changing anything. Guys say with a smaller barrel, you’ve got to be more accurate, but it’s really you just can’t think about it.”

Kudronowicz has been working on his pitching as well, going with more of a sidearm motion. Right now, though, it’s hard for Oreskovich to take him out of the lineup.

“I mean, it feels good,” Kudronowicz said of his recent run. “It kind of reinforces that, with all the work you’re putting in, you’re on track, like no need to change anything. No need to force, just keep doing what I’ve been doing, and keep rolling.”

ALL-STARS

Three Bees will be playing for the Western Conference in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Lafayette, Indiana — infielder Lucas Krebs and pitchers Jake Weissenberger and Riley Fuller.

Krebs is hitting .336 with three home runs and 30 runs batted in. Fuller is 1-3 with a 4.33 earned run average, with 27 strikeouts in 27 innings. Weissenberger is 1-4 with three saves, with 22 strikeouts in 15 innings.

Photo: Adam Kudronowicz ranks seventh in the Prospect League in batting average. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

LUMBERKINGS 8, BEES 6: A Bolt In The Night

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Lucas Krebs was one strike away from the end of the game, one ball away from reaching first base and bringing the tying run to the plate for the Burlington Bees.

Then a bolt of lightning behind the right-field fence, and the torrential rain that followed, ended the night.

The Bees’ last opportunity ended with a severe thunderstorm that hit in the ninth inning of Friday’s 8-6 loss to the Clinton LumberKings in a Prospect League game at Community Field.

The storm that hit came too quickly for the tarp to be put on the field, and the unplayable conditions that followed from the inch of rain that fell in an hour forced an end to the game. Because of that, the game reverted to the last completed inning, with the LumberKings leading.

The Bees (15-17 overall, 4-3 second half), who had a four-game winning streak snapped, fell a half-game behind the LumberKings (18-12, 4-2) for the lead in the Northwest Division heading into a three-game series at Clinton this weekend.

“It’s huge,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said of the weekend, which includes a game Saturday night at a doubleheader on Sunday. “You know, they’re playing a good game right now, and I think we are too. The way we’re playing right now, I think we can beat anyone in the league, so I’m very confident in how we’re going to finish up this second half, and I like the way it started already for us.”

Burlington fell behind 7-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning, but chipped into the LumberKings’ margin until the game was washed out. They scored two runs in the bottom of the third, a run in the sixth, and two in the eighth.

The Bees had 14 hits. Adam Kudronowicz was 4 for 4 and reached base five times. Rowen Bergeron had three hits.

“That’s tough to fight back from, but you know, we still showed some fight,” Oreskovich said. “I’m fine with the guys and how they went about that game, and they showed fight all the way up until the end.”

Clinton had scored a run in the top of the ninth to make it 9-6, but Jace Figuereo reached with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Krebs was up with two outs when the storm hit.

Jack Robertson (1-0) was the winning pitcher, while Bees starter Quinn Wilfong (3-1) took the loss.

Photo: Burlington’s Juan Fernandez slides into third base on his triple in the third inning. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

BEES 6, LUMBERKINGS 5: Walking Away With A Win

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Lucas Krebs flipped his bat away and raised his fist in celebration toward the Burlington Bees’ dugout as he headed to first base to conclude a furious comeback.

Krebs’ bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning brought in Tate Slagle with the winning run as the Bees defeated the Clinton LumberKings 6-5 in Thursday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.

The Bees (15-16 overall, 4-2 second half) won their fourth consecutive game, moving into the Northwest Division’s second-half playoff spot, a half-game behind the first-half champion Quincy Doggy Paddlers for the division lead.

The winning streak comes after a three-game losing skid that dampened the start of the second half.

“We brought the guys in on Monday for an optional workout, and almost everybody on the team came, and it was good vibes,” said pitching coach Tyler Nagelbach, who took over after manager Owen Oreskovich was ejected in the third inning. “Got a lot of good work in, and then everything started rolling.”

The Bees, who trailed 5-2 in the eighth inning, tied the game on Adam Kudronowicz’s RBI single and Troy Peltz’s two-run home run.

Tate Slagle then walked with one out in the ninth inning to set up the final part of the rally. Slagle stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error, then Jace Figuereo and Juan Fernandez were intentionally walked. Krebs then walked on a 3-1 pitch from Clinton reliever Jai Jensen (2-1) to end the game.

“You put the pressure on them, they’ve got to walk guys, pitch around guys, and you’re putting the pressure on defensively,” Nagelbach said. “So then pitcher got a little sped up, and you know, the rest is history.”

Jake Weissenberger (1-3) pitched two scoreless innings to get the win.

“Jake Weisse, like always, came in and did his thing,” Nagelbach said.

Burlington led 1-0 after Sean Kang’s single scored Kudronowicz in the second inning.

Clinton got three runs in the third, two coming on Drew Terpins’ home run to left field. The Bees got to within 3-2 in the sixth, but the LumberKings added two runs in the seventh.

The Bees play host to the LumberKings in a 6:30 p.m. game Friday before going to Clinton for a single game on Saturday and a doubleheader on Sunday.

Photo: The Burlington Bees celebrate their 6-5 win over Clinton on Thursday night. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Loker Makes Most Of Short Time With Bees

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Bryce Loker’s time with the Burlington Bees will be brief.

But the right-hander from Omro, Wisconsin thinks the four starts he gets will be a good lesson for what he is going to be seeing next season at South Dakota State.

Loker, coming off a high school season in which he did not allow an earned run and struck out 62 in 33 ⅔ regular-season innings, has thrown 10 ⅔ innings in three starts with the Bees. He’ll make one more start this week before shutting down to prepare for his freshman season with the Jackrabbits.

Loker said his time with the Bees in the Prospect League has been an education.

“Obviously, being one of the younger guys on the team, I think it’s a great experience,” he said. “Just being around the older group of guys and preparing me for college are really the biggest reasons why I came here. Not only the physical part of the game, but also the mental part— learning how to deal with my own time, getting my lifting in, and then also just getting the schedule down of what it’s like in college and getting used to it, so I can help my team in as many ways as I possibly can.”

Loker has learned what it is like to face college hitters. He is 1-1 with a 5.91 earned run average and 13 strikeouts.

“I think the biggest thing is hitting my spots with my pitches, because when you miss here, they’ll do damage,” Loker said about the adjustments he has had to make facing college hitters. “In high school you can miss spots and you’ll be fine. And then another thing is just the pitch calling here has to be better than it is in high school, because in high school you can get away with mistakes. One through nine, every team we face here, they’re all dudes, and you’ve got to make pitches to every single batter if you want to get outs.”

Former Bees player Jaden Hackbarth, who played in the same travel-ball organization, Five Star Wisconsin, as Loker, recommended coming to Burlington for a summer experience.

“He reached out to me a while ago, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’d love to do that, just get the experience,’” Loker said.

Loker said the South Dakota State coaching staff approved of the move as well.

“I reached out to the South Dakota State pitching coach (Michael Newstrom), and he’s like, ‘Yeah, I think that would be great for you,’” Loker said. “They loved it, especially since it’s a big jump. I went to a small high school, so it’s a lot more challenging here than high school was. They loved that idea, and so did I.

“I wanted a challenge, and I wanted to play with guys that pushed me to be better around in the dugout, all that stuff, but yeah, they love the idea of it to get more innings, more good innings against quality teams.”

Loker pitched 1 ⅔ innings in his first start June 7 at Quincy. He pitched five innings in a 9-6 win at Illinois Valley on June 16, then threw four innings in Thursday’s home loss to Illinois Valley.

A big part of Loker’s time with the Bees is being around players who have already logged a season or more at the college level.

“It was almost a culture shock, because I’ve never been around a group of college baseball guys before,” he said. “It’s been awesome. I mean, all the guys have welcomed me— I’m one of them, and they treat me like that. And I think it’s been really helpful for me to see what it’s like and experience this before I go to college, so I know what it’s like. Being in the clubhouse is awesome. Spending a lot of time with the guys here is great.”

Loker knows what he wants to do with his final start.

“I’m just going to go in, same mentality that I always do — I just want to compete with guys.” he said. “I love competing, and I always want the ball in my hands. If I can do anything about it, I’m going to have that ball, throwing strikes and getting ahead of guys early, not making mistakes. I made a couple mistakes my last start with pitches, and they did damage. This next outing, I’m just looking to not make mistakes and have a good start.”

Photo: Bryce Loker delivers a pitch in his start for the Burlington Bees on Thursday against Illinois Valley. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

LUMBERKINGS 8, BEES 5: Strong Start, Bad Finish

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The Burlington Bees were getting hits and Tate Slagle was putting on a show.

Then came the sixth inning.

What started out was the kind of game that Bees manager Owen Oreskovich has been wanting to start the second half of the Prospect League looked like a lot of the ones over the last couple of weeks, as the Clinton LumberKings rallied for an 8-5 win on Sunday at Community Field.

The Bees built a 5-0 lead as Slagle kept the LumberKings hitless over five innings, but Clinton began rallying in the sixth. The LumberKings scored three runs in the sixth, then added three more in the seventh, two coming on Isaac Sobieszczyk’s home run to left field. Two more runs scored on Gavin Awbrey’s eighth-inning home run, and the Bees (11-16 overall, 0-2 second half) lost for the third consecutive time and the fifth time in the last seven games.

The Bees had a 3-0 lead after the first inning. Adam Kudronowicz’s sacrifice fly scored Jace Figuereo, then Tanner Reinartz hit a 423-foot two-run home run to left-center field.

Burlington added two runs in the third. Kudronowicz’s single scored Juan Fernandez, then Dalton Miller hit a sacrifice fly to score Lucas Krebs.

Slagle, a freshman from Iowa, dominated the LumberKings through the first five innings. He struck out six and walked one before running into trouble in the sixth. Jaylen Ziegler reached on an error, then Slagle hit Cole Lanclos with a pitch. Awbrey’s single to center field was the first hit of the game, and hit scored Ziegler. Karson Grout grounded into a fielder’s choice to bring in Lanclos, then Sobieszczyk walked to end Slagle’s day.

Jai Jensen (2-0) was the winning pitcher. Jake Weissenberger (0-3) was the losing pitcher. Andrew Theiss picked up his third save.

The Bees have Monday off before beginning a three-game series at Illinois Valley on Tuesday.

Photo: Tanner Reinartz watches his first-inning home run. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

DANS 8, BEES 5: Rough Start To The Second Half

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The second half of the Prospect League season is here for the Burlington Bees, but Saturday’s 8-5 loss to the Danville Dans at Community Field felt a lot like some of the Bees’ first-half defeats.

The Bees (11-15 overall) fell behind twice in the first three innings and chased the Dans (16-10) for the rest of the night, and that’s something that manager Owen Oreskovich said his team cannot do to be successful.

“It’s tough asking your offense to score runs when you’re down 4-0 or whatever after three innings,” Oreskovich said. “That’s a tough thing to do. If we have to do it, we have to be able to do it, but you know. it’s a tough thing to do.”

The Bees were down 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning before Rowen Bergeron’s two-run home run tied the game. Danville got two runs in the top of the third inning and never trailed after that.

“We’re got to be able to throw up zeros after scoring runs,” Oreskovich said. “We have all the momentum, and then you just give it away right back to them. That’s hard. It’s hard as hitters to be able to have to bring the momentum every single time. If we have to do it, we have to do it, but we didn’t do it tonight and didn’t get zeros when we needed.”

The big inning also has been eluding the Bees as of late. They got two quick runs in the seventh inning when Jase Figuereo walked, Juan Fernandez hit his second triple of the game to score Figuereo, then Lucas Krebs hit a sacrifice fly to score Fernandez. Adam Kudronowicz and Tanner Reinartz each walked, but Troy Peltz hit a fly out to center field and Bergeron popped out to end the inning.

Drew Ogden (3-0) was the winning pitcher. Riley Fuller (1-2) took the loss.

The Bees play host to the Clinton LumberKings in a 4 p.m. game on Sunday.

Photo: Bees shortstop Juan Fernandez fields a grounder in the first inning of Saturday’s game. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

PISTOL SHRIMP 14, BEES 5: A Sloppy Night Leads To A Loss

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The squandered early chances proved costly late in the Burlington Bees’ 14-5 loss to the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp in Thursday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.

The Bees (11-14) had opportunities to score early and build a lead against the Pistol Shrimp (7-17), but didn’t take advantage. And then when the errors started to pile up on the Bees, the game got away.

Burlington committed five errors which led to four unearned runs.

The Bees twice tied the game in the first three innings, had chances to get more, and then squandered them.

Foti Rigopoulos’ solo home run in the first inning tied the game at 1, but the Bees left runners on first and third. They tied the game at 3 in the third on Adam Kudronowicz’s two-run single, but couldn’t get any more runs. And then in the sixth inning, they scored twice to get within 6-5, but left the bases loaded.

Illinois Valley put the game away with two runs in the eighth and then six runs in the ninth inning.

Tyler Sabodor (2-1) was the winning pitcher. Sean O’Dowd (0-1) took the loss.

Burlington plays host to the Normal CornBelters in a 6:30 p.m. game on Friday.

Photo: Foti Rigopoulos watches his solo home run in the first inning. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)