LUMBERKINGS 4, BEES 2: New Faces Playing A Role

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It’s the final two weeks of the Prospect League’s regular season, and two natural occurrences are happening to the Burlington Bees’ roster.

There are players leaving, and there are some players coming in just to get some innings and some at-bats before the summer ends.

The new players for the Bees all had significant moments in Monday’s game against Clinton at Community Field, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 4-2 loss to the LumberKings.

The Bees’ roster is down to 29 players — league rules allow up to 40 players — and it’s something Owen Oreskovich has grown accustomed to in his three seasons as manager.

“It’s always challenging this time of year,” Oreskovich said. “You don’t really know until you’ve got to deal with it. It’s different every year. It’s just a different challenge we have to take on every day.”

The newcomers all played a part in the game.

Michael Carrano Jr., whose first game with the Bees was nine days ago, provided Burlington’s only runs with a two-run home run in the second inning.

Justin Hackett, a right-handed pitcher from Iowa, got his first start for the Bees. Hackett, who is commuting between Iowa City and Burlington for his starts, struck out five in four innings, but was touched for three runs in the third inning on just two hits. He closed strong, striking out the side in the fourth inning.

“He lost a little bit (in the third),” Oreskovich said. “But (the fourth) will really benefit him, the way he finished.”

Brady Richards, who made his first appearance for the Bees five days ago, allowed one run over four innings, getting big plays behind him to get out of two jams.

Richards allowed a walk and a double to open the fifth. Jalen Martinez singled to right field to score Jaden Hackbarth, but first baseman Merrick Mathews made a smart play cutting off Cooper Donlin’s throw home, and threw out Martinez at second base. Richards then got out of the inning without allowing any more runs.

Richards walked the first two hitters of the sixth, then got Noah Gordon to hit a grounder to third baseman Skyler Agnew. Agnew tried to tag out Brett White coming from second to third, but base umpire Jacob Hudson ruled White was out of the baseline and called him out. Agnew threw to second for the force out, but the throw to first for a possible triple play was just a bit late. Richards then struck out Hackbarth, then retired the next six hitters to end his night.

“Brady’s been really good both times he’s pitched for us,” Oreskovich said.

***Clinton starter Blake Gaskey struck out five in six innings. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)***

The Bees, who had eight hits, had runners in scoring position in the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn’t score.

“We got the hits, we just didn’t get them at the right time,” Oreskovich said.

Clinton starter Blake Gaskey (1-0), making his first appearance of the season, allowed six hits and struck out five over six innings without walking anyone. Gaskey pitched for the Bees early last season, and also played two seasons at Southeastern Community College in West Burlington before pitching at Ohio this season.

The Bees (8-9 second half) fell 3 ½ games behind the LumberKings for the Northwest Division’s second-half playoff spot with 10 games left in the season.

Photo: Bees catcher Michael Carrano Jr. (39) celebrates his home run with Merrick Mathews and Boston Halloran. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 7, LUMBERKINGS 6: Brown’s Winning Hit Ignites The Noise

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It got loud at Community Field, that late-season-need-a-win kind of loud.

Ninety decibels, according to the watch of one fan, as Bryce Brown’s double sliced the right-center field gap and Jeremy Figueroa and Corey Boyette raced home with the tying and winning runs as the Burlington Bees defeated the Clinton LumberKings, 7-6, on Saturday night.

The second largest crowd of the season — attendance was announced at 2,262 — saw the Bees continuously slug back at their Northwest Division rivals, overcoming a crucial call in the ninth inning to close within three games of the LumberKings for the division’s second-half spot in the Prospect League playoffs.

“We’re trying to make a playoff push, so every win matters,” said Brown, who had three hits to push his batting average to .391. “Every game matters, especially against them, because we’re a few games back.

“Great crowd. Great vibe here tonight.”

“Big crowd — it was awesome,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “I love having them here. You know, it felt like a playoff atmosphere. It’s nice to play in front of crowds like this.

“They had our backs tonight.”

The Bees looked to be in position to tie the game earlier in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Cooper Donlin singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Donlin then appeared to advance to third base on Cedric Dunnwald’s flyout to center field, but after an appeal base umpire Jacob Hudson ruled Dunnwald had left early and called him out.

“I asked (Hudson) for an explanation, he said (Donlin) left early, so…” Oreskovich said, shrugging.

The call looked even bigger when Figueroa hit a slow ground ball to shortstop, reaching on an error. Boyette then followed with a single, bringing up Brown.

“We could have just rolled over there after that call,” Brown said. “Then we get the grounder and then the line drive to right field to bring me up. That doesn’t happen if we roll over.”

Brown then drilled the ball into the gap. Figueroa scored easily, and then Boyette was waved in, easily beating the throw to the plate.

That’s when it really got loud.

“The guys in front of me extended the game,” Brown said. “I knew I was going to get a ball in the (strike) zone, because he’s not going to spike a pitch in that situation.”

“We had some good hitters coming up after Figgy there, so I knew we had a chance,” Oreskovich said. “I was confident. Brownie’s probably swinging the hottest back in the Prospect League right now.

“We had three good hitters step up, get on base. That was huge.”

The Bees tied the game twice and led once through the first six innings, then, trailing 6-5, held the LumberKings scoreless the rest of the game. Jack Duncan pitched 2 ⅓ scoreless innings in relief of starter Michael Schaul, then Erik Kiewiet (2-1) got the win, getting out of a bases-loaded situation in the ninth without giving up a run.

“Just great pitching there late, and I thought Mike did a good job with the start,” Oreskovich said.

It was the fifth consecutive home win for the Bees.

“Our guys don’t give up,” Oreskovich said. “They’re showing a lot of resilience right now.”

“Huge win.”

Photo: Bryce Brown follows through on his game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 14, ROCKABILLYS 0: Theriot Gets The Shutout Before The Sun Sets

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

David Theriot Jr., had such an easy night, the sun was still out when he threw his final pitch.

Theriot pitched a four-hit shutout, striking out eight, in the Burlington Bees’ 14-0 win over the Jackson Rockabillys in Thursday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.

Theriot needed just 87 pitches — 62 were for strikes — to get through the seven innings in a game shortened by the league’s 10-run rule. He walked just one, and only allowed three singles, with the only extra-base hit coming on Nick Varon’s two-out double in the seventh.

The game took just 1 hour, 53 minutes to play.

“That’s pretty nice,” Theriot said, smiling. “You can’t beat that.”

The Bees (7-7 second half) won their fourth consecutive home game. They were coming off Wednesday’s 9-8 win over Springfield in which they rallied from an 8-1 deficit in the fifth inning, and they added to the momentum with this win.

“I think it was a carryover from last night,” said coach Casey Sole, who was interim manager for the game as Owen Oreskovich was serving a one-game suspension after his ejection from Wednesday’s game. “We’re just playing together, figuring each other out. Just starting to really get in the groove.”

Theriot (3-2) reduced his earned run average to 2.42, a much better outing than the last time he worked, when he gave up 10 runs — five earned — in two innings in a 15-5 loss at Alton on July 12.

“Tonight was a lot better, a lot more fun,” Theriot said. “The last outing, I couldn’t get ahead. Whenever I would throw a strike, they would be on me. Tonight I was getting ahead, and I was staying low in the zone.”

It wasn’t a good first batter for Theriot on this night. Jackson’s Ethan Rossow hit a grounder to first baseman Kinnick Pusteoska for what looked to be the first out of the game, but Theriot dropped the throw from Pusteoska as he was covering first base.

Theriot then retired the next eight hitters before Rossow singled for the Rockabillys’ first hit of the game in the third inning.

“You can just feel sometimes whenever it’s going to be a good day,” Theriot said. “To be honest, I didn’t feel anything different really. But after the first couple of batters it was like, ‘Uh, this might be a little different of a rhythm tonight.’”

“It’s very easy catching him when he dominates the zone like that,” said catcher Nick Meyer. “Everything was working. Fastball, slider, mixing them up. Everything worked.”

“I thought he had a lot of movement on his pitches today,” Sole said. “Cut it, sink it, keep them off-balance. And he was able to get ahead in the counts, which was good. He had a lot of success.”

**Kinnick Pusteoska (left) *and* Skyler Agnew celebrate Pusteoska’s two-run home run. (Steve Cirinna/Burlngton Bees)**

The Bees scored in every inning, taking advantage of two errors and seven walks from Jackson starter Matt Maloney in the first four innings.

Burlington had 10 hits. Meyer had three and Jeremy Figueroa, who drove in the winning run in Wednesday’s game, had two. Pusteoska drove in three runs, two on a fifth-inning home run.

“The vibes are pretty high in here right now,” Meyer said.

“The bats are completely different this half,” Theriot said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who can hit the ball.”

Photo: Bees starter David Theriot pitched a four-hit shutout on Thursday. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 9, LUCKY HORSESHOES 8: Crazy, Nasty, And Fun

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Their manager had been ejected from the game.

They were down by seven runs, but they had at least five more innings at the plate.

“We were all in the dugout, like, ‘Let’s do something crazy. Let’s get nasty. Make it fun,’” said Burlington Bees coach Casey Sole, suddenly the acting manager for the rest of the game and soon to be the traffic cop for what may be the biggest run of the season.

Oh, it got crazy, with a nasty, perfectly executed defensive play in the top of the ninth inning and a whole lot of fun in the bottom of the inning.

Jeremy Figueroa’s two-out double into the right-center field gap scored Cedric Dunnwald with the winning run as the Burlington Bees rallied to defeat the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes 9-8 in Wednesday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.

The Bees (6-7 second half), trailing 8-7 in the ninth after being down 8-1 in the fifth inning, were down to their last strike when Dunnwald dumped a single into center field to score pinch-runner Jace Figuereo with the tying run.

Figueroa then worked a 3-2 count against Springfield reliever Gavin Erhardt (1-1) before drilling a line drive into the gap.

“I was just trying to get a pitch that I could hit hard,” Figueroa said. “Give myself a chance, give the team a chance. It definitely felt pretty good. As soon as I hit it, I knew I was going to get it into the gap. It was a great feeling, for sure.”

Dunnwald, running with the pitch, didn’t figure a stop sign would be coming at third base from Sole.

“I knew he hit it to right-center, and that the ball was down,” Dunnwald said. “The biggest thing I knew was I had to score. I didn’t know if it was going to go deep enough or not. I knew in that situation Casey was probably going to send me regardless. In my situation, I knew I had to go.”

“Oh yeah, without a doubt, I was sending him, no matter what,” Sole said.

Dunnwald easily got to the plate, then joined his teammates as they chased Figueroa in celebration.

“It was awesome to see the team come together for this win,” Sole said.

Dunnwald and Figueroa were the beginning and the end of the biggest defensive play of the game in the top of the ninth.

**Bees third baseman Jeremy Figueroa tags out Tyler Butina in the ninth inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)**

Springfield’s Tyler Butina drove a ball over Dunnwald’s head in center field. Dunnwald chased down the ball as it hit off the wall, and delivered a strong throw to cutoff man Bryce Brown, who whirled and threw the ball to third base. Figueroa then made the tag on Butina for the second out of the inning.

Dunnwald had been shaded toward left-center field because of the way the wind had been blowing earlier in the game.

“Off the bat, he hit it high, and it kept going,” Dunnwald said. “My thought was to get to the ball, then hit my (cutoff). I threw a laser to Bryce Brown, and he did the rest. Initially, I thought we had no chance. I saw him rounding second as my ball went to Bryce. I thought it was going to be close, but I didn’t think we were going to get him. That throw must have been super-hard, because Jeremy got the ball and just laid on the tag.

“It was perfect.”

“It was just a beautiful play, a beautiful relay,” Figueroa said. “Ceddy got the ball in really quick, got it to Bryce Brown. Brownie made a perfect throw, honestly. Anywhere else, he’s probably safe. He made a perfect throw. Made my job easier.”

The Bees were down 8-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth when manager Owen Oreskovich was ejected from the game, arguing a called third strike on Figueroa.

That, Sole said, sent a message to the rest of the team.

“I think it started with Coach O firing them up,” Sole said. “He went out there and fired them up. He was fighting for them.”

What happened next was a four-run inning, and suddenly an 8-5 deficit looked a lot different.

“We were getting guys on base, getting guys in scoring position, so I felt like something good was going to come our way,” Dunnwald said.

“It was just a slow start,” Figueroa said. “Things didn’t go our way, but we stayed to the plan. Good pitching, timely hitting, and we got it done.”

Brady Richards gave the Bees four strong innings of relief, allowing just two runs while striking out four. Michael Schaul (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth.

The Bees matched their win total for the first half, and are just 1 ½ games behind Clinton for the second-half playoff spot in the Western Conference’s Northwest Division.

“It shows how much we care, it shows how hard we compete,” Dunnwald said. “A lot of things didn’t go our way tonight, with the umpires and everything. But I think that helped us in a way.

“Any win we can get is going to carry momentum. This one was huge.”

Photo: Bees third baseman Jeremy Figueroa gets water dumped on him by Jace Figuereo after his game-winning double. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Cardinals Draft Rice In 20th Round

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Owen Rice became the second former Burlington Bees player selected in this year’s Major League Baseball draft when the St. Louis Cardinals picked the left-hander in the 20th round on Tuesday.

Rice went with the 591st overall pick.

Rice, who played with the Bees in 2022, played at Wisconsin-Milwaukee the last two seasons. He struck out 65 in 44 1/3 innings in his two seasons with the Panthers, including 51 this season. Rice was 1-2 with a 6.27 earned run average in 10 starts this season, allowing 30 hits in 33 innings.

Rice played in four games with the Bees in 2022, going 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA in four appearances. He struck out 18 in 8 2/3 innings.

Rice is the third former Bees player to be selected in the draft since the organization moved to the Prospect League in 2021. Outfielder Spencer Nivens was selected by the Kansas City Royals in last season’s draft, and infielder Zane Zielinski was drafted by the San Francisco Giants on Monday.

Photo: Former Burlington Bees pitcher Owen Rice was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 20th round of Tuesday’s MLB draft. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Zielinski Drafted By Giants

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Infielder Zane Zielinski became the second former Burlington Bees player in the Prospect League era to go in the Major League Baseball draft when he was selected in the ninth round by the San Francisco Giants on Monday.

Zielinski, who played for the Bees in their inaugural Prospect League season in 2021, was the 268th overall pick.

Zielinski batted .363 at Illinois-Chicago this season, starting all 55 games. He hit eight home runs and drove in 42 runs on his way to being an All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team pick.

Zielinski stole 20 bases in 24 attempts. He finished the season with a 1.032 OPS.

Zielinski was the Bees’ leading hitter in 2021, batting .317 with two home runs and 26 runs batted in. He had two doubles and 13 stolen bases.

Spencer Nivens, also a member of the 2021 team, was the first Bees player to be drafted, going to the Kansas City Royals in the fifth round last year. Nivens is playing with the Royals’ High-A affiliate in the Quad Cities, and is batting .158 with four home runs. Nivens also spent two games on a rehabilitation assignment with the Royals’ Rookie League team in Arizona, hitting .625.

Photo: Zane Zielinski takes a swing during a 2021 game with the Burlington Bees. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Duncan Doesn’t Mind The Winding Roads

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

There is no easy way to get from Macomb, Illinois to Burlington.

Jack Duncan usually takes the highways that take him through Blandinsville, LaHarpe and Terre Haute, then up the Carman Road to U.S. Highway 34, then over the Mississippi River to Burlington and Community Field, where Duncan has spent the summer pitching for the Burlington Bees.

“I like that way — I’ll stop at the gas station in Blandinsville to get something to drink,” Duncan said, smiling.

There are various other back roads Duncan will take, too, for the 50-mile journey to his summer baseball home.

Duncan, a Macomb native and a pitcher at Western Illinois University, doesn’t mind. Usually, fellow Bees reliever Chase Golden, who was with Duncan at WIU last season, rides along.

It’s 50 miles and a little less than an hour’s drive, and Duncan likes it.

“I like listening to music, talking about baseball, whatever,” Duncan said. “That 50 minutes, actually, helps me get into game mode. If you live here in town, it’s five minutes, and you’re here. I actually feel more prepared. You think about baseball coming up here, you get ready.”

Duncan needed this summer with the Bees in the Prospect League to build off his short first season with the Leathernecks.

“It’s been all right,” Duncan said. “It’s had its ups and downs, but that’s baseball.”

Duncan is 0-4 with a 5.53 earned run average, but leads the Bees with three saves. A deeper dive into his numbers shows those ups and downs that Duncan talked about.

Duncan didn’t allow an earned run in his first five appearances, then gave up five runs in the ninth inning of an 8-7 loss at Jackson on June 26. He came back to get a three-inning save, not allowing a run in a 4-1 win over Clinton on July 4.

Duncan has lost his last two outings, giving up three runs in a 7-4 home loss to Alton on July 9, then he gave up two 10th-inning runs in Sunday’s 7-6 loss at Normal.

“It’s not fun to look back and try to find what you need to get better at, and watch those bad outings,” Duncan said. “But there’s a lot to take from it, and learn how to deal with failure so you can come back the next outing ready to go. Learn from your mistakes.”

The rebound from the loss at Jackson was crucial for his confidence.

“You really want to bounce back after a bad outing,” Duncan said. “That one felt good. You want to see your stuff work again. You do whatever you can — you take that time off after you throw to get ready. And it feels good when you come back and do well.”

Bees manager Owen Oreskovich had a message for Duncan after the Jackson loss, and liked Duncan’s response.

“He just had a bad day, and stuff happens,” Oreskovich said. “You know, it happens to the best closers in the league, the best pitchers in the league. Guys have bad days. Sometimes you really can’t control that.

“But I told him after the (Jackson) game, I brought him in and talked to him and told him that you’re still going to go back into that (late-inning) position. It’s not like I lost confidence in you or anything like that. So I don’t know if that totally helped him out. calmed his nerves a little bit but that was huge what he did (against Clinton).”

“I told O the day after that if there’s any situation, and you don’t know who to pitch there, I’ll be that guy,” Duncan said. “You want to get out there as soon as possible to get that feeling off your chest.”

Duncan made three appearances for the Leathernecks last season as a freshman, giving up six earned runs in 2 ⅓ innings before a knee injury sidelined him the rest of the season.

That’s why this summer with the Bees is so important.

“I sat and watched pretty much the whole season — I didn’t get to be in any conference games because of my knee,” Duncan said. “So, yeah, I was ready to go. When I got here, I was like, I’m staying here all summer, I want innings, I want to face college-level hitters. It’s really been really good to be able to play.

“I really haven’t gotten a lot of college guys out. I got three innings in at Western, and they weren’t great. It’s different facing college hitters. They’re not going to chase anything that maybe you get in high school, so that’s why I want to get experience here.”

Duncan used his down time during the college season to watch the older pitchers on the Leathernecks’ roster.

“Pretty much every game, I was back behind home plate, charting pitches, seeing what guys were throwing, trying to pick up as much as I could in how they go through their process,” he said. “I definitely learned a lot, more than what you would think during a season.”

Duncan said he’s talked a lot with Western Illinois coach Terry Davis this summer.

“I’m not sure yet what my role is going to be,” Duncan said. “I’m going to come in there in the fall and compete, see where TD wants me to fit in. I want to pitch meaningful innings this year, and if I do what I know I can do, I’ll have that chance.”

It’s why he doesn’t mind the back roads to get where he wants to go after this summer.

“It’s been a lot of fun here in Burlington,” Duncan said. “I didn’t expect it to be this fun, but I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Photo: Bees reliever Jack Duncan (right) and teammate Chase Golden often are car-pool partners on the ride from Macomb, Illinois to Burlington. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 5, THRILLBILLIES 4: Walking It Off For Back-To-Back Wins

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Jace Figuereo didn’t know the picket fence of Thrillbillies surrounding the Community Field infield was that daunting.

The Burlington Bees left fielder still had a plan on how he could drive in the winning run of Thursday’s Prospect League game.

It didn’t matter. Figuereo was hit in the thigh by the bouncing pitch of Thrillville reliever Dalton Hitt with the bases loaded, bringing in Jackson Rooker to give the Bees a 5-4 win.

The Bees (4-4 second half) have won back-to-back games for the first time this season, a modest streak that still feels big.

“Every win is a big win,” Figuereo said. “It doesn’t matter who we play, where it was, whatever. To be able to string a couple of wins together is nice. It gives us confidence moving forward.”

“It’s good to see the tide is turning a little bit,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said.

The Bees trailed 3-0 and 4-3, then won the game with big plays in the eighth and ninth innings. Cedric Dunnwald hit a solo home run in the eighth inning, then a single, two walks, and Figuereo’s hit by pitch finished the win.

“We feel like we’re in every game no matter what,” Oreskovich said. “It’s just about battling.”

Kinnick Pusteoska led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to right field and was replaced by Rooker. Jackson Reid was called on to bunt Rooker to second, but ended up walking. Nick Meyer also was asked to bunt, but he, too, drew a walk.

So, with the bases loaded and Figuereo coming up, Thrillville manager Ralph Santana brought right fielder Alex Zimmerman to play as a fifth infielder to clog up the middle of the infield.

Figuereo didn’t notice the move.

“They had five guys?” he said. “Where was the fifth guy? No, I didn’t see him.”

Figuereo still had a plan.

“Just put the ball in play, in the air preferably, into the outfield,” he said. “Back in school (at Southeastern Community College), those are situations we practice every day, so that’s where my mentality was.”

Figuereo fouled off the first pitch.

“First swing, I got under it and it went foul, so, right idea,” he said. “The second pitch hit me.”

It did, bouncing in front of the plate and catching him mid-thigh.

“Anything to get on base,” Figuereo said. “I will never complain about a hit-by-pitch, a walk. Anything to get me on base, I’ll take it.”

The Thrillbillies (1-7) scored three runs off Bees starter Jacob Sjuts in the first three innings, then Sjuts retired 11 of the last 12 hitters he faced to keep his team in the game.

The Bees got one run in the third inning when Jeremy Figueroa’s double scored Figuereo. They then tied the game in the seventh when Meyer’s double into the left-center field gap scored Pusteoska and Reid.

**Bees pitcher Joe Evans got the win in his final appearance of the season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)**

Evans (2-2), such a crucial part of the Bees’ bullpen all season, gave up a run in the eighth. He walked Alex Wilson with two outs, then Wilson advanced to third on Evans’ errant pickoff throw and scored on a wild pitch.

“I was struggling in the eighth inning,” Evans said. “But I know my teammates can pick me up.”

Dunnwald did pick Evans up with his first home run of the season, setting up the ninth.

Evans pitched a scoreless top of the inning, finishing his season the right way.

“It was a really good outing for the last time in Burlington,” Evans said. “I had a lot of fun. It was fantastic. A lot of great memories, meeting great guys from great places. I learned a lot from different people from different programs. It’s been a blast.

“I was hoping we didn’t end up losing this one.”

They didn’t.

Photo: Burlington Bees left fielder Jace Figuereo is doused with water after getting hit by a pitch to force in the winning run in Thursday’s game. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 6, THRILLBILLIES 2: A Night When It All Clicks

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.

**Jace Figuereo singles in the seventh inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)**

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)

RIVER DRAGONS 7, BEES 4: One That Got Away Late

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It was a game the Burlington Bees had control of until they didn’t.

Alton scored four runs over the final two innings — three in the ninth — to take a 7-4 win in Tuesday’s rain-delayed Prospect League game at Community Field.

The Bees (2-4 second half) led 4-3 going into the eighth inning before a costly throwing error allowed the River Dragons (3-3) to tie the game. Then Alton broke the game open in the ninth, getting all of their runs after two were out.

What was frustrating for Bees manager Owen Oreskovich was how the River Dragons got their runs.

Reliever Chase Golden had pitched three shutout innings and had gotten one out in the eighth when Alton’s Joe Connolly singled to center field. But an attempt to throw out Connolly, who had made a wide turn, at first base went sailing away, allowing Connolly to move to second base. Connolly then scored on Justin Santoyo’s single.

“I thought Goldie was great,” Oreskovich said. “If we don’t throw the ball away trying to make a play after it’s wet, I think it’s a different inning. Those at-bats are different, those pitches are different. Maybe we get (a double play) and get out of there with the lead.”

Then came a stormy ninth inning which saw two ejections before the River Dragons put together their rally.

Left fielder R.J. LaRocco struck out to open the inning and argued with home plate umpire Dana Wilson, who threw LaRocco out of the game. Just two pitches into Zane Timon’s at bat, first-base coach Kurt Russell was ejected by base umpire Sam Hufnagle.

Timon struck out for the second out, then pinch-hitter Cole Schrank singled. Cooper Howell walked, then Connolly singled to load the bases. Duncan hit Santoyo in the ankle with a pitch to bring in pinch-runner Dane Stevenson, then Erik Broekemeier’s two-run single capped the scoring.

The Bees loaded the bases in the ninth inning against Carter Hunt, but Merrick Mathews was called out on strikes and Cedric Dunnwald popped out to first to end the game.

“We’ve got to get a hit there,” Oreskovich said. “You get a run there, and their pitcher gets even more rattled, then who knows what happens from there.”

The Bees fell behind 3-0 in the first inning. Howell reached on an error, advanced to second on Connolly’s ground out, stole third base, then scored on a fielder’s choice. Preston Wright then added a two-run single.

Bees starter Jackson Wohlers settled in after that, pitching three shutout innings.

Burlington got two runs back in the fourth inning on Dunnwald’s single that scored Keanu Spenser and Cooper Donlin.

Wohlers would have come out for the fifth inning, but heavy rain hit the ballpark as soon as the fourth inning ended, leading to a rain delay of 1 hour, 13 minutes.

“I had no problem putting him back out there,” Oreskovich said. “He was pitching well, and he could have given us at least one more inning.”

Scott Detweiler (2-1) was the winning pitcher. Duncan (1-2) took the loss.

Photo: Burlington Bees first baseman Merrick Mathews waits for the throw as Alton’s Cooper Howell races down the line in the second inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)