By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
The numbers aren’t official yet, but still, Caleb Wulf had a big week for the Burlington Bees.
Wulf had three hits and scored twice as the Bees defeated the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp 6-3 in Saturday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.
The Bees (13-18 overall, 3-1 second half) have a half-game lead over the Pistol Shrimp (15-17, 3-2) in the Great River Division standings heading into Sunday’s off day.
Wulf was 3-for-4 in Saturday’s game and hit .444 during the week, and that doesn’t include his 4-for-5 night in Friday’s game against Quincy that was suspended after 9 innings because of rain.
Wulf hit .384 for Southeastern Community College this season, helping the Blackhawks to a runner-up finish in the NJCAA Division II World Series. Wulf took a break after the long season and joined the Bees on June 25. His recent run comes after a 6-for-25 start to the season.
“I think it’s just getting back into a routine, playing every day, keeping things simple,” Wulf said. “I had a pretty good spring, and I was trying to get back to what I was doing then, and it’s been paying off so far.”
“(The SCC season) was fun, but it was pretty good to get time off there for about a week and a half. And then it got to the point where it was like, OK, I want to be back on the field and be playing, not just sit around and not do anything. It felt good to get back out here and play again.”
It’s a busy summer for Wulf, who works in the mornings at Kid Zone, a day-care center in West Burlington. The routine can be hectic, Wulf said, especially after late arrivals back in Burlington after road games, but he is enjoying it.
“It’s good experience, because I want to be a teacher,” Wulf said. “So working with little kids and making a little money, it’s fun. It’s fun working with them, they always have funny stories to tell me. Some of the kids have come out here to watch me play. It’s special to work with them during the day, and then have them come out here.”
“Man, he’s a happy kid all of the time,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “He’s up early in the morning, working four or five hours. And then he’s here at noon, one of the first people here in the day, going out there in the cages, getting his work done, whatever he needs to do. And then he just enjoys playing. He’s not going to come in, slam his bat, slam his helmet. He doesn’t let much affect him.
“He’s one of those competitors you get once in a blue moon. I love having that kid around.”
Wulf scored the go-ahead run in the fourth inning. With the score tied at 2, Wulf singled to open the inning, and advanced to third on Brandon Bickford’s single. Wulf then scored on a one-out double from Ian Wolski.
The Bees added two runs in the fifth. Corey Boyette led off the inning with a solo home run, then Mason Schwalbach followed with a triple. Schwalbach then scored on a wild pitch.
Wulf scored the Bees’ final run in the eighth. He led off the inning with a single, and scored on Wolski’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
The Bees’ bullpen had to carry a big part of the game. Adrian Nery, who found out two hours before the game that he was going to have to start in place of Jacob Zahner, lasted just two innings, but only surrendered two runs.
Ryan Donley (3-1) pitched two scoreless innings. Chase Golden got out of a bases-loaded situation to throw a scoreless fifth inning. Zach Leuschen gave up one run in three innings, then Drew Martin recorded his third save with a scoreless ninth.
“I thought Nery did a good job for only knowing he was starting two hours before the game,” Oreskovich said. We found that out in the middle of batting practice.
“The bullpen was incredible again. Donley did an incredible job like he has the last couple of outings. Goldie did good for his one inning. Leusch did a hell of a job giving us three. And then D-Mart did a hell of a job closing it out.”
ON DECK: The Bees are off Sunday before playing host to the Normal CornBelters on Monday.
NOTES: Boyette, who joined the Bees at the end of June, has hit in all five games he’s played, batting .333 in the streak. … Schwalbach has a four-game hitting streak, batting .438 in the current stretch. … Schwalbach has two triples this season, both against the Pistol Shrimp. … Bickford, who went 2-for-3, is batting .350 over his last seven games.
Photo: Caleb Wulf singled in the second inning of Saturday’s game. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)
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