By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
The difference between Rem Maxwell’s first start of the season and the second start was every pitch was working.
And, by the way, he didn’t have food poisoning.
Maxwell gave up one run in six innings, and the Burlington Bees backed him with 11 hits in a 12-2 win over the Quincy Gems in Tuesday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.
The Bees (3-3), who moved into a first-place tie with Clinton in the Great River Division, snapped a three-game losing streak and stayed undefeated at home in a game that was stopped in the seventh inning because of the league’s 10-run rule.
Maxwell allowed just four hits while striking out eight. He threw 96 pitches, 59 for strikes, but it was his command that impressed Bees manager Owen Oreskovich.
Maxwell, who got the Opening Night start against the Gems last Wednesday, threw just three innings in that game, walking four and striking out two.
“I’ve got to give that kid credit,” Oreskovich said. “He had three pitches tonight, instead of one and a half in the opener. He kind of had his breaking ball (in the opener), but he didn’t have his change-up. He had all three tonight, and that was the big difference.”
“I felt comfortable out there,” Maxwell said. “Just throwing strikes.”
He also wasn’t throwing up.
“I think I threw up 15 times (on Wednesday),” Maxwell said. “Came in after I came out of the game, threw up all over the place. It wasn’t the best, I’ll tell you that.”
Maxwell didn’t throw an inning this season at Georgia Southern. Going as long as he did in this game, and almost reaching the league’s 100-pitch limit, felt good, he said.
“I haven’t done that in a while,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell, who had a 1-2-3 first inning, got into trouble in the second inning. The Gems (1-5) put together three singles to start the inning, but Maxwell escaped without allowing a run. Joe Huffman struck out, then Luke Jessen hit a pop fly down the third-base line that Bees’ shortstop Kooper Schulte caught in foul territory. Maxwell then got a called third strike on Harry Oden to end the inning.
“They came in the dugout after that inning, and I said, ‘That’s how you pitch, boys,’” Oreskovich said.
“Very huge to get out of that,” Maxwell said. “I’ll tell you, I couldn’t have done that without the other guys out there. I’ve got a bunch of great guys behind me. It’s just trusting them.”
Maxwell then retired the next nine hitters before allowing a run in the sixth inning to end his night.
“It’s great, knowing where every ball is going,” Maxwell said. “If they hit it, they hit it. If they don’t, they don’t.”
The Bees put constant pressure on three Gems pitchers. Mason Schwalbach’s solo home run in the first inning and Keanu Spenser’s sole homer in the second set an early tone. Burlington added three runs in the third, then seven in the fifth inning.
Schulte had three hits and drove in three runs. Spenser had three hits and drove in two. Both were close to a cycle — Schulte needed a home run and Spenser needed a triple, which he could have had a chance at in the sixth inning when his drive into the left-center field gap was chased down by Jessen.
“Keanu would have had a chance if he had burned that kid,” Oreskovich said. “He said he would have went for (the triple).”
UP NEXT: The Bees play host to the Normal CornBelters in Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. game. Jake Zahner (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will get the start for Burlington.
NOTES: The Bees’ bench is getting deeper. Schulte joined the team on Sunday. Pitcher Aiden McGee has also joined the team, as has outfielder Simon Turner. Pitchers Drew Martin and Jake Jakubowski are expected next week, and outfielder Coy Sarsfield will join the team this weekend. “We’re getting there,” Oreskovich said. “It does feel like we have more options.” … The Bees’ game with Quincy on Sunday is being counted as a complete game, a 7-5 loss, despite the game being stopped in the middle of the fifth inning because of lighting issues. “It’s called a complete game, and that’s all I’m going to say about it,” Oreskovich said, smiling.”
Top photo: Bees pitcher Rem Maxwell allowed just one run in six innings in Tuesday’s win over Quincy. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)
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