By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
The wish for the Burlington Bees, of course, would be playing in the Prospect League playoffs.
That hope ended earlier this week.
Friday’s 4-3 win over the Clinton LumberKings at Community Field, though, gives the Bees a chance to finish at .500 in the second half.
“Obviously we would want to be above .500, be in the playoffs,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “That would be just good for the guys, good for us, good for the fans who come out to our home games. Hopefully we can get one more for them.”
The Bees (24-32 overall, 14-15 second half), who snapped a five-game losing streak, play host to the Quincy Gems, the Great River Division second-half playoff qualifier, in Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. game to end the regular season.
Burlington hasn’t finished .500 or better in a half since the first half of the team’s inaugural season in the league in 2021.
Keanu Spenser drove in two runs for the Bees, who had to hang on in the ninth after Jeremy Conforti’s two-run home run in the eighth got the LumberKings (33-24, 17-13) within a run.
Bees reliever David Theriot walked Patrick McGinn to lead off the ninth. Tate Gillen singled to right field, moving McGinn to third.
Theriot then made what turned out to be a game-saving play, nearly catching a line drive from Max Holy. Theriot dropped the ball, but picked it up in time to throw out Holy at first base while keeping McGinn stuck at third.
Paul Vossen popped out for the second out of the inning, then Conforti was intentionally walked to load the bases. Parker Shupe then grounded into a force play at second to end the game.
“Theriot did a great job of getting out of that,” Oreskovich said. “If he catches that line drive, it might be a double play or triple play, but he still was able to get an out, and then get out of the inning.”
Spenser had an RBI single in the first inning to tie the game at 1, then his sacrifice fly in the third inning scored Lincoln Riley with Burlington’s second run.
The Bees added two runs in the fourth. Cedric Dunnwald scored on a wild pitch, then Connor Laeng scored on Riley’s groundout.
Kyle Looper (2-0) was the winning pitcher. Tyler Stern (0-3) took the loss.
Photo: Corey Boyette celebrates his double in the fifth inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)
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