CLINTON, Iowa — The Burlington Bees aren’t among the Prospect League leaders in strikeouts.
It’s just that their strikeouts came at the worst times in Sunday’s 11-2 loss to the Clinton LumberKings.
Clinton pitchers recorded 10 strikeouts, but what hurt the Bees was seven of those strikeouts came with runners on base.
And that bothered Burlington manager Owen Oreskovich.
“We’re striking out with runners in scoring position,” Oreskovich said. “We had all of the chances in the world to get at least 10 runs in that game. We’re just not coming through with a hit when we need it.”
The Bees rank ninth in the Prospect League with 80 strikeouts in nine games. Six teams, including the LumberKings, have 90 or more.
But Clinton (7-4) leads the Great River Division by three games over the Bees, and in Sunday’s game that was because of timely hitting.
Parker Shupe’s third-inning grand slam was especially devastating. The LumberKings had 23 runners reach base, the Bees had 13, but Clinton found a way to keep the traffic moving.
The Bees (3-6) got both of their runs in the first inning. Mason Schwalbach’s sacrifice fly scored Tanner Holland, and Jaden Hackbarth scored on Coy Sarsfield’s double.
After that, it was squandered opportunities. The Bees loaded the bases with one out in the fourth inning and couldn’t score. They opened the sixth inning with back-to-back walks and couldn’t score.
Even in the ninth, with the game’s outcome basically decided, a double by Trent Rice to start the inning was wasted.
“It’s the second night in a row we scored in the first inning, and didn’t get anything after that,” Oreskovich said. “That’s not normal. We have to compete better in the plate during the game.
“We have to put the ball in play. Make them make a play.”
Aiden McGee (0-1), making his first start of the season, found his way out of jams in the first two innings, allowing just one run. Then came the third, when Clinton loaded the bases with one out, then Shupe homered to right-center field.
“Just one bad pitch cost him,” Oreskovich said of McGee. “He hasn’t thrown that long in a little bit. He just made one bad pitch, but I liked what I saw. We’ll work him up more.”
Bees reliever Nick Tampa was touched for three runs in 1 1/3 innings. Jaden Siemer gave up two runs in two innings. Preston Kaufman gave the Bees two strong shutout innings, with the only baserunner coming on a dropped third strike.
Hackbarth and Schwalbach each had two hits for the Bees. Sarsfield, making his first start of the season, reached base three times.
Jared Simpson (1-0) was the winning pitcher for Clinton.
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