By John Bohnenkamp
The hit, Owen Oreskovich said, is going to come.
That one hit that will clear the traffic on the bases in a key moment.
The one that keeps eluding the Burlington Bees this season.
“It’s a recurring thing, where we can’t get that hit,” Oreskovich, the Bees’ manager, said after Tuesday’s 7-3 loss to the Quincy Gems in a Prospect League game at Community Field.
The Bees left 12 baserunners, including the bases loaded in the seventh and eighth innings. They were 2-of-10 with runners in scoring position (RISP).
The strikeouts were especially painful — the Bees had 13, four coming with runners in scoring position with two outs.
“Once again, we’re leaving guys on base,” Oreskovich said. “We need somebody to step up, take the lead, take charge.”
The Bees (6-14) had eight hits. Trey Adams had two runs batted in hitting in the No. 9 spot in the lineup, and newly-acquired Marcos Sanchez, who joined the team on Monday, hit a solo pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning.
Eventually, Oreskovich figures, something has to break with all of these opportunities.
“It’s a positive (getting baserunners),” Oreskovich said. “Something’s got to happen. That’s just the way baseball goes.
“It’s got to break at some point. It’s probably a broken-bat single or something.”
The Gems (10-10) did get the timely hits. Drew Townsend had a two-out RBI single in the second. Lucas Loos hit a two-out, two-run home run in the third. Jonathan Latham had a two-out, three-run home run in the eighth.
Garrett Moltzan (1-3) was the losing pitcher. He allowed just four hits over five innings and struck out four.
“G-Mo went out there and was doing his thing again,” Oreskovich said. “I’ve got all of the confidence in the world in that kid going out there.”
Cael Kolacia (3-1) was the winning pitcher.
UP NEXT: The Bees play host to the Clinton LumberKings in Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. game. Osvaldo Mendez will make his first start for the Bees. Mendez was 5-2 with a 5.11 earned run average at Alabama State this season. He pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief against Tennessee in the NCAA regionals on June 3.
NOTES: Plate umpire Daniel Grawe had a rough night, taking a wild pitch off his throat in the fourth inning and another off his shoulder later in the game. … Game time temperature was 94 degrees with a heat index above 100. “It was brutal when we were out there for (batting practice),” Oreskovich said.
Photo: Burlington Bees shortstop Trey Adams watches his run-scoring single in the second inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)
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