By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
Four hours and 14 minutes into the night, Jace Figuereo knew how it was going to end.
“He told me, ‘If the ball’s in the dirt, I’m going no matter what,’” Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said.
And when the pitch from Jackson’s Story Kimura hit in front of home plate and ricocheted toward the Rockabillys’ dugout, Figuereo raced home with the game-winning run in the Bees’ 15-14 victory in 10 innings in Saturday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.
The Bees (3-6) snapped a three-game losing streak on a wild night in which they trailed 4-0 after the top of the first inning, fought back to lead 10-4 after three innings, surrendered five runs in an inning twice, and then had to tie the game in the ninth inning.
“Winning’s fun,” Oreskovich said. “That’s awesome. It can turn some things around.”
“It means a whole lot,” said Figuereo, who played his first game on Friday. “I wasn’t here at the beginning of the losing streak, but I know what it’s like. Losing streaks can be a make-or-break for teams. But I think tonight showed this team has a lot of fight in it, that early in the season we’ve still got the fight.”
Oreskovich used 21 players — “I didn’t know how many, but I know it was a lot,” he laughed — including seven pitchers.
“It’s ‘next man up,’” he said. “We pulled out all of the stops, and some of those guys came up huge.”
The Bees let a four-run lead get away when the Rockabillys scored five runs in the eighth inning. But Burlington tied the game in the bottom of the ninth when pinch-hitter Scotty Savege singled to drive in pinch-runner Cedric Dunnwald.
Figuereo had a chance to win the game in the ninth with runners on second and third, but lined out to center field to end the inning. He started at second base in the bottom of the 10th inning under the league’s extra-inning rule, and he knew what he wanted to do.
“I wanted to be the one to put the game on my shoulders,” Figuereo said.
Landon Akers was intentionally walked to open the inning, then Reese Moore grounded into a double play, moving Figuereo to third. Kimura’s first pitch to Cooper Donlin got away, and Figuereo ran home with the winning run, his fifth run of the game.
Figuereo played baseball at West Burlington High School, a couple of miles away from Community Field, and got to play high school games in the ballpark.
Now he’s wearing a Bees uniform, wearing the same number his father Anibal wore in 2002 and 2004 when Burlington was a Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.
“It’s great,” Figuereo said. “I always wanted to be like my dad growing up. Being in a Bees uniform, it’s great. It’s been something we’ve been able to bond over the last couple of days.”
The Bees had an ominous beginning to the game when pitcher Nathan Chapman left with an arm injury just five batters in, which meant Oreskovich had to push a lot of pitching buttons the rest of the way.
Bobby Helt pitched 2 ⅔ scoreless innings in relief of Chapman. David Theriot didn’t give up a run in 3 ⅓ innings, and Chase Golden (1-0) picked up the win by striking out three in 2 ⅔ innings.
Zach Leuschen, though, gave up five runs in the fourth inning. Kyle Looper gave up four runs and Jacob Sjuts gave up one in the eighth.
“Some guys had some tough nights tonight, but I know they’re capable of giving us good innings,” Oreskovich said. “Bobby gave us all he could. Dave did a ginormous job. And then Goldie? Come on. That was great. That was the Goldie we saw at the end of the year. I love that for him, because that kid is so appreciative of things.”
The Bees had 11 hits. Akers had three hits. Moore drove in four runs and Merrick Mathews drove in three.
“It’s a win and we’ll take it,” Oreskovich said.
Photo: Jace Figuereo scores the winning run in the Bees’ 15-14 win over Jackson. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)
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