It was a game that Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich had wanted, and even predicted.
Oreskovich knew that even with his team’s first-half struggles in the Prospect League, the roster makeup was such that the Bees can make a second-half run.
Wednesday’s 6-2 win over the Thrillville Thrillbillies at Community Field was an example of that.
The Bees (3-4 second half) got production from everywhere in the lineup, the perfect pitching tandem in Jacob Zahner and Michael Schaul, and error-free defense.
“We won today, we’ve lost a couple of games, but I feel like all of our games in the second half so far, it felt like we could win,” Oreskovich said. “And that’s a good feeling.”
The big key to this win, though, was Zahner, who put together his best pitching performance of the season. Zahner (1-3) came into the game with a 6.65 earned run average, with opponents hitting .284 against him, but he held the Thrillbillies to just six hits over six innings, and outside of the two-run second inning kept them from scoring.
“I thought he had a lot of life on his fastball,” Oreskovich said. “He made pitches when he had to. He had that two-run inning, but he went back out there and threw up zeros. It was huge.”
Oreskovich let Zahner have the sixth inning with the Bees up 3-2, and how he escaped it was big for him, and his teammates.
Zahner allowed singles to Mark Kattula and Bryson Arnette to open the inning. He got Carson Garner on a flyout to right field, then got Cam Hill to ground into a 5-4 force play. Zahner then struck out Alex Wilson to end the inning and his night.
“I thought he was rolling,” Oreskovich said. “I thought he had a little more life on his fastball than in the past. I thought he was feeling good, rolling. I think he deserved that inning.
“I was going to let him finish that out. He deserved that, as well.”
An inning later, the Bees added to their lead with a three-run seventh inning capped by Keanu Spenser’s two-run double.
“We got momentum from how the sixth inning ended, and you’ve got to keep momentum rolling in this game,” Oreskovich said.
Schaul closed the game with three scoreless innings, striking out four for his second save of the season.
The Bees had nine hits. Jeremy Figueroa had three hits and Jace Figuereo had two at the top of the lineup — Figuereo’s two-run double in the fourth put Burlington in the lead — but there was production everywhere in the lineup.
Even the players who didn’t have a hit contributed. Scotty Savage went 0-of-4, but scored a run. Corey Boyette and Jackson Rooker also went hitless, but each drove in a run.
Jacob Hustedde (0-2) was the losing pitcher.
Photo: Bees pitcher Jacob Zahner allowed two runs in six innings for his first win of the season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)
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