BEES 10, GEMS 4: The Perfect Goodbye

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Keanu Spenser finished autographing a bat, one of his last acts in the Burlington Bees’ season.

He smiled.

“Amazing way to end the season,” Spenser said. “Couldn’t ask for a better one.”

The Bees said goodbye to the Prospect League season with one of their better wins of the summer, a 10-4 win over the Quincy Gems on Saturday at Community Field.

Spenser had three hits, including his first triple of the season, scored three times and drove in two runs. Cedric Dunnwald had four hits, including his first triple of the season, and drove in three runs.

The Bees closed the season with back-to-back home wins over the Gems and the Clinton LumberKings, the two Great River Division representatives in the league playoffs, which start Sunday. Burlington finished 15-15 in the second half, 25-32 overall.

“I’m super proud of these guys,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “They gave it their best in the last game of the year. It was fun.

“Nice to get a win.”

Caleb Wulf’s RBI single in the fourth inning gave the Bees a 4-3 lead, and they just kept adding runs — two in the fifth, two in the sixth, and two in the eighth.

Spenser and Dunnwald were with the team from beginning to end, and they appreciated the opportunity.

“It’s the first time I’ve experienced anything like this,” said Spenser, who hit .304 with 10 home runs and 42 runs batted in. “Completely different than any baseball I’ve ever played. It’s been an absolute blast. Couldn’t ask for anything better.”

“It was great. We had a great group of guys,” said Dunnwald, who hit .239. “I was one of the few who stayed the whole summer, so it was great to end that way, with a win. It’s always good to end that way.”

Dunnwald closed strong, hitting .316 in the final week.

“I felt like the last couple of weeks I was starting to figure stuff out,” Dunnwald said. “I felt like my swing had progressed. I felt like tonight everything went my way. It felt good.

“I think I’ve just got to soak in what I’ve learned this summer. That’s what it’s all about.”

Jared Townsend (1-2) was the winning pitcher in relief, pitching two scoreless innings.

Oreskovich used five pitchers, bringing in Preston Kaufman to get the final out, a broken-bat grounder that ended the night.

Oreskovich tried to sum up the season.
“I love these guys,” he said. “I’ve got a great group of guys here. I’d do anything for them, they would do anything for me.”

The players stuck around on the field after the game, saying their goodbyes.

Spenser, who is from Arizona, took in the last moments.

“Headed home in the morning,” he said, still smiling. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

Photo: Keanu Spenser slides into third base on his third-inning triple. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)