Countdown To One: Rain Condenses Bees’ Chances

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Only a half-inning was played before Wednesday’s doubleheader showdown between the Burlington Bees and the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp sank in the muddy depths of Community Field’s right-field turf and warning track.

A sudden heavy rain that hit right after the Bees scored two runs in the top of the first inning led to a delay of more than 90 minutes before umpires ruled that the field was unplayable.

Instead of two games that could have determined the second-half champion of the Prospect League’s Northwest Division, the two teams went their separate ways with the Bees holding a half-game lead over the Pistol Shrimp with Thursday’s regular-season finales to be played.

The Bees (32-21 overall, 20-7 second half) play at Quincy (16-37, 7-23), while Illinois Valley (31-22, 20-8) plays host to first-half division champion Clinton (33-19, 15-12). A Bees win or an Illinois Valley loss would clinch the first playoff bid in Burlington’s five seasons in the league.

“We wanted to play them today, show them that we deserve it for real,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said after meeting with his players in the dugout following the announcement of the cancellation. “But we’re going to go out there tomorrow with the same mentality.”

The Bees were the visiting team in the first game, which was a make-up of the June 25 game at Illinois Valley that was rained out, and struck quickly for a 2-0 lead. Cole Yearsley’s double scored Jace Figuereo, then Yearsley scored on Corey Boyette’s sacrifice fly.

But rain started to fall as the Bees took the field for the bottom of the inning, then it began pouring as Illinois Valley’s Lucas Smith stepped to the plate. Plate umpire Preston Childers waved the teams off the field as Bees staff members and players, with some help from a couple of Illinois Valley players, got the tarp on the field.

The rain stopped within 15 minutes, but after the tarp was removed, there was standing water along the warning track in front of each team’s dugout, and a large area in right field behind where the infield ended was swampy. The two teams decided to wait 90 minutes to try to play again, but the field failed to dry.

“I mean, it really rained hard there,” Oreskovich said. “We did whatever we could. We got the tarp on right away. But right field is a problem, and the warning track was a problem. That’s just real life. There was nothing we could do.”

Even if the game had been able to restarted, it likely wouldn’t have gotten finished — more rain fell 90 minutes after the game was called off.

The outfield had already taken a half-inch of rain overnight — the infield had been tarped after Tuesday’s win over Johnstown.

Now it’s all about one game.

“We’re going to be foot on the gas pedal as soon as we get on the bus tomorrow,” Oreskovich said. “We’re going to be rocking, ready to go in there and get a win to get into the playoffs.”

Photo: Bees players Jace Figuereo (24), Mitchell Cox (40), Raul Gil (15) and Jack Duncan (32) help get the tarp on the field as a heavy rain falls on Community Field during the first game of Wednesday’s scheduled doubleheader. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 9, MILL RATS 6: Setting Up The Showdown

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Two games, one night, and a half-game separating the two teams.

Oh, and it might rain all day.

The Burlington Bees have never been to the playoffs in their five seasons in the Prospect League, but they get a chance to advance to the postseason after Tuesday’s 9-6 win over the Johnstown Mill Rats at Community Field.

The Bees (32-21 overall, 20-7 second half) maintained their half-game lead over Illinois Valley (31-22, 20-8) in the Northwest Division heading into Wednesday’s 5 p.m. doubleheader between the two teams at Community Field.

“Anyone who says it’s just another night is lying,” said Bees first baseman Keanu Spenser, who is in his third season with the team and has gone through some of the past struggles. “This is as big as it gets.”

“It’s fun,” said Bees manager Owen Oreskovich, who has led the team the last four seasons. “I’m excited for it. I know these guys are, too. We’re going to go into it full go, ready to go after it and win.”

The weather forecast isn’t good — the National Weather Service has forecasted an 80% chance of rain, with rainfall between a half and three-quarters of an inch. That just added to the importance for the Bees of getting this win and staying ahead of the Pistol Shrimp, who defeated Alton 11-1 Tuesday night.

“We were just, ‘Win this one and worry about what comes next,'” Oreskovich said. “We had to win tonight. Like you said about the weather, who knows what can happen tomorrow? It’s supposed to rain all day, but it might, or it might not. You never know.”

It’s why Oreskovich pieced together his pitching for this win, going to the bullpen after starter Alex Logan walked four and allowed two runs in the top of the first inning. The Bees tied the game on Spenser’s two-run home run in the bottom of the inning, but Oreskovich went to Jack Duncan (2-0) to start the second inning.

**Reliever Jack Duncan gave the Bees four innings and picked up the win. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)**

Duncan, who needed just four pitches to get two crucial eighth-inning outs in Monday’s 5-3 win over the Mill Rats, gave the Bees four innings and although he allowed three runs, gave Oreskovich some length and kept Johnstown scoreless over the fourth and fifth innings, when the Bees rallied.

“He was huge,” Spenser said. “Everybody in the bullpen did a great job, but that kept us in the game.”

Marshall Robinson got the Bees out of a second-and-third jam in the sixth without a run and then pitched a scoreless seventh, Sean O’Dowd pitched a scoreless eighth inning before giving up a run in the ninth, then Morgan Jennings got the save by getting the last three outs with the bases loaded.

“Dunc was huge,” Oreskovich said. “Marshall was huge. Sean’s first inning was really good. Then Morgan gets us out of trouble. We don’t win the game without those guys.”

The Bees slowly cut into Johnstown’s lead. Corey Boyette had an RBI single in the third inning, Lincoln Cardwell hit a solo home run in the fourth, then Burlington took the lead in the fifth on Caleb Seibers’ run-scoring single and a bases-loaded walk to Cardwell.

The Bees added two runs in the sixth when Boyette doubled to score Marcus Beatty, then Boyette scored when Kooper Schulte reached on a fielder’s choice.

Schulte’s sacrifice fly in the eighth scored Boyette with Burlington’s final run.

The stage was set for two on Wednesday.

“We had to win today, and that was our focus,” Oreskovich said. “Tomorrow is going to be fun.”

Top photo: Burlington’s Keanu Spenser (left) is greeted at home plate by Corey Boyette, Kooper Schulte and Owen Nowak after his two-run home run in the first inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 5, MILL RATS 3: Harris’ Long Outing Helps Extend Division Lead

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

His pre-game meal and the 105-degree heat index didn’t make for a good combination for Burlington Bees starting pitcher Danny Harris.

Four pitches into Monday’s start against the Johnstown Mill Rats at Community Field, Harris bent over, sick, behind the Community Field mound.

Two batters into the inning, after he went over to cover first base on a ground out, Harris came back to the mound and, well, the contents of his meal were evacuated into the grass.

“I did not think I was going to throw up,” Harris said. “I thought it was just jitters and then it was like, ‘OK, I guess I’m going to throw up.”

With that out of the way, Harris stayed a while on the mound. He threw 7 ⅓ innings in the 5-3 win that helped the Bees extend their lead in the Prospect League’s Northwest Division.

The Bees (31-21 overall, 19-7 second half) have a half-game lead on Illinois Valley, just two nights before the two teams play a doubleheader at Community Field.

The Bees extended their winning streak to six games, and have won nine consecutive home games as they head into the final three days of the regular season.

“It’s a good start (to the week),” Harris said. “We’ve never had six wins in a row, now we’ve done that. We just want to keep it going.”

Harris kept going after his early gastric distress. He allowed just one run over the first seven innings before giving up two runs in the eighth.

“About halfway through that game, I thought, ‘We’re going to stick with him,,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “He was getting his outs. Not a lot of (strikeouts), but he was getting his outs. And it’s hard to take a guy out when he’s getting his outs.”

“It was just grit, work ethic,” Harris said. “It was, ‘How bad do you want to go out there and compete for your team and get a win?’ I’ve got to get a chance for my guys to make the playoffs.”

Oreskovich said he kept an eye on Harris’ health.

“He was all good,” Oreskovich said. “We were getting him iced up, getting water in him.”

Harris (4-1) allowed six hits and struck out three, getting double plays in the fourth and sixth innings after the Mill Rats got their leadoff hitters on base. He got first-pitch strikes on 17 of the first 24 hitters he faced.

“I was trying to live down in the zone,” Harris said. “Compete, get strike one, and then attack because it’s easier to get them out when they’re on their heels. I was just trying to be efficient — a groundout is the same as a strikeout.”

The Bees had a three-run seventh inning to take a 5-1 lead, and the length of the inning made Oreskovich think about taking Harris out.

“I wanted to see what he had in him,” Oreskovich said.

Harris gave up singles to Brady Gavula and Brennon Seigler, with both runners moving up on Kuyper Lashutka’s sacrifice bunt. Jace Essig’s single up the middle brought in both baserunners and ended Harris’ night.

“He was really good,” Oreskovich said.

Jack Duncan came in and retired the next two hitters on just four pitches, then Braeden Sunken pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his seventh save.

“That’s what we need out of those two, and we’re going to need that this week,” Oreskovich said.

The Bees took a 1-0 lead in the first when Cole Yearsley singled and scored when Kooper Schulte’s fly ball to right field was turned into a three-base error.

Johnstown tied the game in the third inning on Cooper Rasmussen’s sacrifice fly, then the Bees took the lead back in the fifth when Jace Figuereo scored on a wild pitch.

Schulte and Owen Nowak had run-scoring singles in the seventh, and Corey Boyette scored on a wild pitch for the Bees’ final run.

Box score

Photo: Bees starter Danny Harris went 7 1/3 innings in the 5-3 win over Johnstown on Monday. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Schulte Gets Back To His Roots, On And Off The Field

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

A day after going 0-for-5 in a 5-4 loss at Normal, Burlington Bees shortstop Kooper Schulte was mowing the grass behind the Community Field outfield fence.

A few hours later, after going through his normal pre-game routine, Schulte was in uniform and back at his usual position.

It’s been a summer of long days for Schulte, who along with being one of the top hitters in the Prospect League is working as an intern with the Bees, getting a full view of baseball from the playing side and the business side.

“Some days are harder than others, like when I work here in the morning and then have to play a game that night,” said Schulte, who will be a senior on Iowa’s baseball team this fall. “But honestly, it’s better for me to get up in the morning and get going than it would be for me to sleep in and be lazy.”

It hasn’t affected his play. Schulte, who opened the season getting five hits and hitting for the cycle in the 12-5 win over Quincy on May 27, is seventh in the league in hitting at .345. He has four home runs and 20 runs batted in and is tied for fifth in the league with 11 doubles, one of the reasons why he was selected to the league’s All-Star Game.

“I’m really happy,” said Schulte, who hit .268 with the Hawkeyes this season, going 0-for-12 in his final seven games. “Coming here from Iowa, I thought I needed a new start. I’m just doing things a little bit different this summer, and it’s worked out for me. Hopefully I just keep going the rest of the summer.”

It is Schulte’s second season with the Bees — he hit .373 in 2023 before a hand injury ended his season — but he’s learning about the other side of the game through the internship is doing for Iowa, where he is majoring in sport and recreation management.

“Mainly I work with the grounds crew,” Schulte said. “I get here around 10 a.m., work on the field, mow the field, work on the base paths, set up for (batting practice), all the fun stuff.

“I’ve learned quite a bit, actually. Like different ways to take care of the field. (Assistant general manager/director of stadium operations) Blaise (Rosson) has been teaching me a lot — when I ask questions, he always has answers to it. I’ve been working a little bit with operations too, like social media stuff, restocking the concession stands, and stuff like that.”

“Every single day, he’s here in the morning doing his internship stuff, and then he’s going in the (batting) cages to get in work, then he goes and gets lunch and comes back and does more work,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “He’s one of the hardest workers — he might be the hardest worker I’ve ever been around or coached. And he’s a phenomenal player as well.”

If anything, Schulte said, the summer has helped him get back to being the player he knows he can be.

“It’s just been better mentally, more than anything,” said Schulte, who is living at home in nearby New London. “I’m playing with some guys I’ve played with in the past, whether it’s been with the Bees or at Southeastern (Community College). Maybe just being back at home was important, but it’s also been more about being competitive and getting back to who I am. I needed to get back to my roots, know what makes me good and keep doing that.”

**Bees manager Owen Oreskovich (left) congratulates Kooper Schulte after his triple in the season opener against Quincy. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)**

Schulte said his first year with the Hawkeyes taught him a lot.

“That first year, I learned the competition at the Division I level is pretty good,” he said. “I learned that I’ve got to stay on me, not listen to the outside noise or anything like that. Know what works for me, and stick to it. Trust the process.”

Schulte also has been working with his father, Justin, who is Southeastern’s head baseball coach.

“His dad raised him right,” Oreskovich said. “His dad is an incredible coach, and did an incredible job with him.”

Oreskovich said Schulte is one of the leaders in the clubhouse.

“He always speaks up, he’s always giving the pre-game speech,” he said. “He gets on guys when he has to, and he leads by example as well.”

“It’s something I wanted to do,” Schulte said. “I’m going to be a senior next season. So it’s my goal to be one of the leaders.

“I just want to be the person that I am this summer, taking it into fall (with the Hawkeyes) and then into the spring. Be competitive, be the guy that pushes my teammate, things like that.”

Top photo: Burlington Bees shortstop Kooper Schulte is batting .345 this season while also working for the team as a summer intern. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 11, DOGGY PADDLERS 1: Clarkson Deals In The Heat

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Kael Clarkson’s first two innings set up his last four.

Clarkson allowed one run in a hot day’s work, and Caleb Seibers drove in five runs as the Burlington Bees defeated the Quincy Doggy Paddlers 11-1 in 6 ½ innings in Sunday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.

The Bees (30-21 overall, 18-7 second half) kept the lead over Illinois Valley in the battle for the second-half playoff spot from the Northwest Division. The Pistol Shrimp defeated Clinton 9-5 on Sunday, so Burlington remained percentage points ahead in first place in the division.

Clarkson (3-2) retired the first six hitters he faced, then pitched his way out of trouble in the rest of his six-inning stint. The quick work he made in those first two innings was important considering the game was played on a day when the heat index hit 100 degrees at game time.

“It really helped with my confidence,” Clarkson said. “It gave me a lot of confidence not getting crazy tired early in the game, so I could go longer into the game.”

Clarkson said the battle with the heat was more mental than physical.

“Making sure you tell yourself that you’re OK, that you’re not tired, even though you are,” he said. “That’s what helped me. Just staying positive and just trying to work through the heat. Getting quick innings is a big part of that.”

The lone run Clarkson allowed came in the third inning, when Quincy’s Jimmy Koza singled in Jack Linenfelser. But Clarkson left runners on first and third to end the inning when he struck out Tommy Harrison, starting a trend that would continue the rest of his outing.

Quincy had runners on second and third with no outs in the fourth inning, and first and second with no outs in the fifth and sixth innings, and didn’t score either time. Clarkson got two infield popups to end the fourth, a double play to end the fifth, and a strikeout and an infield popup combined with a runner thrown out trying to steal third to get out of the sixth.

“The defense always makes great plays,” Clarkson said. “They always have my back. And when I’m in those jams, I just try to get outs, get weak contact, let them work, and they’ll help me get out of all that.”

“He just beared down and dug deep there,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “That’s what you want to see out of these guys. Sometimes you don’t get that this late in the summer, but he went out and got out of trouble.”

Clarkson struck out five and walked two.

“My change-up was really working — I think I threw 12 in a row at one point,” Clarkson said. “All of my strikeouts came on changeups.”

The Bees scored six runs in the first inning, with Seibers’ two-run home run to left field capping the outburst. Burlington didn’t score again until the fifth inning, when Keanu Spenser scored on a wild pitch, then set up the 10-run rule with a four-run sixth inning that included Seibers’ three-run double down the left-field line.

***Caleb Seibers (second from left) is congratulated after his two-run home run in the first inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)***

“We had that big start, but we needed to keep putting pressure on them, although we did get some runs late, which was good to see,” Oreskovich said.

Spenser and Kooper Schulte each had three hits for the Bees, who had 16 hits.

Jared Marty (2-6) was the losing pitcher for Quincy.

The Bees, who have won eight consecutive home games, play host to a two-game series with the Johnstown Mill Rats starting Monday. They close the home part of the regular-season schedule with Wednesday’s doubleheader against Illinois Valley.

“We’re all pretty excited right now,” Clarkson said. “We’re very confident we can win the rest of this week and get into the playoffs.”

Top photo: Burlington Bees starter Kael Clarkson gave up one run in six innings in Sunday’s win over Quincy. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 7, THRILLBILLIES 4: First Place On A Rainy Night

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The Burlington Bees head into the final days of the Prospect League regular season with a rested bullpen and in first place.

The Bees’ 7-4 win over the Thrillville Thrillbillies on Thursday night was called after 5 1/2 innings because of rain and wet grounds.

The victory, combined with Illinois Valley’s loss at Clinton, puts the Bees (27-21 overall, 15-7 second half) into the Northwest Division lead by percentage points over the Pistol Shrimp.

Burlington and Illinois Valley meet at Community Field in a doubleheader on the penultimate day of the regular season next Wednesday, but the Bees head into this final stretch of the season with momentum. They’ve won seven consecutive home games, and seven of their last eight games overall.

The Bees scored four runs in the third inning, two in the fourth and three in the fifth. They had 10 hits, with every hitter getting on base at least once. Danny Rollins went 3 for 3, and Kooper Schulte and Caleb Klein each had two hits.

“Guys are locked in now and getting good (at-bats),” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “It’s a beautiful thing to see.”

Rain fell throughout the game from the third inning on, and after Thrillville batted in the sixth, Thrillbillies manager Patrick Morey met with Oreskovich and plate umpire Preston Childers as the radar showed heavier rain approaching. The game was called after a short discussion.

“The field was already wet, so we couldn’t tarp it,” Oreskovich said. “And there was lightning in the area.”

What it did, though, was keep Oreskovich from using his bullpen heading into a stretch of eight games in seven days without a day off. Starting pitcher Blake Gaskey (3-1) went six innings, allowing seven hits while striking out six.

“It does help (our bullpen),” Oreskovich said. “We’ve got what, eight games in a row? So it helps, for sure.”

Photo: Burlington Bees pitcher Blake Gaskey threw six innings in Thursday’s win over the Thrillville Thrillbillies. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 16, THRILLBILLIES 6: Another 10-Run Rule Night

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Fans aren’t getting nine innings of baseball at Community Field these days.

Not that Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich is complaining.

The 16-6 win over the Thrillville Thrillbillies in Wednesday’s Prospect League game was the third consecutive home win for the Bees that was decided by the league’s 10-run rule.

“I’m OK with that,” Oreskovich said, smiling.

This game ended after 6 ½ innings. Last Friday’s 27-17 win over Quincy was done in eight innings, as was the 15-4 win over Springfield the next night.

It’s not that the fans aren’t getting value for their tickets, considering the run production in all three games. The Bees had 15 hits in this game, with six players getting two or more hits.

The hits are coming from up and down the lineup. Marcus Beatty, hitting second, was 4 for 5 with three runs batted in. Caleb Seibers, hitting sixth, hit two home runs. Kila Teixeira, hitting seventh, went 3 for 3 and drove in two runs.

“I hope it stays like that,” Oreskovich said. “It’s very important — if we need somebody to bunt anywhere in the lineup, we can get one down and then we’ve got guys to drive the run in. It’s huge, the lineup we have right now, and hopefully we keep doing what we’re doing.”

“Just a lot of us have the mindset of putting the ball in play, making something happen, moving guys around,” said Teixeira, who is hitting .333 this season. “I hit for the situation. Whatever happens, happens after that.”

Teixiera is on a seven-game hitting streak, hitting .414 in this current stretch. Teixiera, who is from Hawaii Pacific, didn’t see any game action in the college season, but has filled in different roles for the Bees this summer.

“Coming out here to play, I’ve had fun,” Teixiera said. “I didn’t play this season, but I’ve come here wanting to show what I can do. I’ve got nothing to lose, so I just leave it all out there.”

“He puts together great at-bats, and he’s good with two strikes, too,” Oreskovich said. “It’s awesome to see.”

***Bees catcher Lincoln Cardwell makes a catch on a foul ball. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)***

The Bees (26-21 overall, 14-7 second half) took a 3-1 lead in the third inning on back-to-back home runs by Corey Boyette and Seibers and a run-scoring single from Lincoln Cardwell.

The Thrillbillies tied the game in the top of the fourth inning, then the Bees broke the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the inning. They added six runs in the sixth, then held on to the 10-run rule in the seventh despite Thrillville getting three runs and having runners in scoring position with two outs.

Five Bees were hit by pitches, bringing their league-leading total to 100.

Michael Schaul (2-0) was the winning pitcher. Ty Anderson (0-1) took the loss.

Box score

Photo: Bees left fielder Marcus Beatty makes a leaping catch in Wednesday’s 16-6 win over the Thrillville Thrillbillies. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Seibers Takes In Full Summer Experience

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The crowds were the first thing Caleb Seibers noticed in his first season of playing summer league baseball.

The Burlington Bees are drawing an average of 778 fans, and for Seibers, who just finished his freshman season at Olney Central (Ill.) College, that’s a high number.

“I was not expecting this many people,” said Seibers, an infielder for the Bees. “So I come from a juco. Maybe we get 30 fans. We don’t get a lot of people.”

Seibers has found a way to put on a show for the crowd. He’s one of the Prospect League’s top hitters, and was one of five Bees selected for the All-Star Game this season.

“I mean, it’s been a pretty cool experience,” Seibers said. “You get to come out here, play for these fans in a great atmosphere. It’s been fun.”

Seibers’ numbers are comparable to what he did at Olney Central, when he hit .328 with five home runs and 39 runs batted in. He is hitting .327 for the Bees, which ranks 13th in the Prospect League. He is tied for fourth in the league with seven home runs, and tied for sixth in runs batted in with 36.

The consistency in numbers is impressive considering this is his first season in a wood bat league.

“It was a big adjustment for the first couple of weeks,” Seibers said. “I had a couple of balls that I hit hard that just weren’t going out, so I just started hitting off my back foot a little more.”

Seibers had hits in seven of his first eight games this season. He is in a four-game stretch where he’s batting .429 with a .550 on-base percentage. He wasn’t credited with an at-bat in Saturday’s 15-4 win over the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes, but he reached base in all five plate appearances — he walked three times and was hit by a pitch twice.

Seibers said playing for the Bees has helped him as a player.

“Everybody should do this,” he said. “If you’re in college, you’re going to get better playing in a league like this. And if you didn’t get many reps in college, this is the place to come. There’s 50, 60 games. Everyone’s going to play. It’s a lot of baseball. It’s a lot of good baseball, good competition.”

Seibers said he has learned from some of the veteran Bees who play at the NCAA Division I level.

“It shows how you rank as a player,” Seibers said. “You play in my (junior college) conference, you’re playing against some pretty good guys. And then playing with (Iowa’s Kooper) Schulte and (Iowa’s Miles) Risley, it’s awesome being surrounded by guys like that. They teach you a lot of stuff, and you’ve got to take that in as a player.”

Seibers is taking in the full experience. He said he has done infield work with Schulte and his father, Justin, who is the head coach at Southeastern Community College.

“I’ve been getting in some reps in the outfield, catching bullpens, just trying to get multiple positions down to play at the next level,” he said.

This summer is about baseball only for Seibers, an experience he said he needed.

“It’s a blast,” he said. “Work out, then come here and play baseball. It’s a dream. It’s what the pros do every day. I remember when I first got here, I was like, ‘Geez, this is like pro ball.’ I’m not ready to go back to school yet.”

The Bees head into the final two weeks of the season in the playoff chase, leading the Northwest Division second-half standings by percentage points over the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp.

Seibers wants to savor every moment he can.

“Let’s hope it’s a slow two weeks, and that we can get in a few playoff games after that,” he said.

Photo: Caleb Seibers watches one of his home runs for the Burlington Bees this season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 15, LUCKY HORSESHOES 4: Free Bases, And First Place

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It was another 10-run rule walkoff for the Burlington Bees, only this one didn’t end the night of insanity like the last one did.

Caleb Klein’s grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning ended Saturday’s 15-4 win over the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes at Community Field, a victory that put the Bees into first place in the Prospect League’s Northwest Division.

The Bees (25-20 overall, 13-6 second half), who have won five consecutive games, lead the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp by a half-game as they head into a two-day break.

“It’s an amazing way (to go into the break),” said first baseman Keanu Spenser, who hit a solo home run and finished the game with three runs batted in.

The Bees were coming off Friday’s 27-17 win over Quincy, an ugly game that ended up not leaving a hangover with the winners.

The Bees built a 9-1 lead over the first four innings and although they finished the game with only five hits, they converted many of the free bases given to them by Springfield pitchers, who hit six batters and walked 15.

“Guys took care of (at-bats),” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “We didn’t get a lot of hits, but we took care of the ABs. We got hits when we needed to, so it was really good to watch.”

Burlington has scored 79 runs in the winning streak.

“I think right now, we just know our bats are hot, and so our pitchers have a little more confidence pitching, knowing, even if they give up a few (runs), our bats are going to be able to get him back,” Spenser said. “And I think it’s just been easy right now. The chemistry of the team, the energy, as you can see, is always going to be there.”

The Bees scored four runs in the third inning, and single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, without the benefit of a hit. The third inning featured four walks and three batters hit by pitches.

Many of the free bases came from the bottom of the Bees’ lineup. Caleb Seibers, hitting seventh, walked three times and was hit twice. Danny Rollins, hitting eighth, walked four times. Marcus Beatty, batting ninth, walked three times.

Burlington is fifth in the league with 240 walks, but leads the league in hit-by-pitches with 94, 13 ahead of second-place Johnstown in the category.

“It’s just the mentality we have,” Oreskovich said. “We’ve got guys from Southeastern (Community College), McHenry (Community College) that have come in here with the mentality of, ‘Don’t move, you’ll get a free base.’ And that mentality is going through the team. Who wouldn’t want a free base?”

Winning pitcher Kaelen Carlson (2-2) allowed two runs and four hits over five innings.

The Bees led 11-4 going into the bottom of the eighth. Three consecutive walks brought up Klein, whose home run to left field ended the night.

The Bees will have their Community Basket Day exhibition on Sunday, then have Monday off before heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

“Let’s keep it going,” Spenser said.

Box score

Photo: Caleb Klein (left) is doused by water after hitting the grand slam that ended Burlington’s 15-4 win over Springfield on Saturday night. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 27, DOGGY PADDLERS 17: ‘Let’s Get This Over With’

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Cole Yearsley came to the plate in the eighth inning with all of the numbers burning in red on the Community Field scoreboard and had one thought.

“Let’s get this over with,” said Yearsley, the Burlington Bees’ designated hitter.

And he did end the game, his two-run single scoring Lincoln Cardwell and Colin Schmitke to end the game on the 10-run rule as the Bees defeated the Quincy Doggy Paddlers 27-17 in Friday’s Prospect League game.

The win kept the Bees (24-20 overall, 12-6 second half) a half-game behind the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp for first place in the Northwest Division, but it wasn’t a win they exactly wanted to celebrate.

The final linescore was an equation of ugliness — the Doggy Paddlers didn’t score in three innings, and the Bees didn’t score in two. The two teams combined for 32 hits and seven errors, and the 10 pitchers combined walked 20.

“I’m glad we won, but that’s just not good baseball,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “The offense did well, but to give up 17 runs … we’ve got to be better, plain and simple. It’s almost tough to be happy about this game.”

“It’s one of those where it’s good to find a way to win, but it also leaves kind of that sour taste in your mouth,” said Yearsley, who had two hits and drove in five runs.

“This is one of the craziest games I’ve been a part of,” said left fielder Marcus Beatty, who had four hits, drove in four runs, and scored four times.

The Bees were down 7-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning, and 12-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

“We came out flat,” Oreskovich said. “We were flat the entire day.”

The Doggy Paddlers (14-28, 5-14), whose losing streak reached 10, have played four doubleheaders since July 5, and the Bees were able to carve away at their tired pitching staff. Quincy used just four pitchers, with reliever Ethan Gamez taking the brunt of the Bees’ comeback, giving up 10 runs in 3 ⅔ innings.

***Jeremy Figueroa rounds the bases after his three-run home run in the seventh inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)***

“I mean, I never doubted we could win,” Yearsley said. “I don’t think a lot of the guys ever doubted it. We came out flat, just not a lot of energy to come out with. But we knew that Quincy’s been struggling. They don’t have a lot of pitching, a lot of depth, we just stayed on it. Foot on the gas, and just grind it out. And, that’s what we did, just grinded it out.”

“When we were down 9-1, 12-3, whatever, I didn’t think we were ever out of it,” Beatty said.

The Bees scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on just four hits, then after reliever Morgan Jennings pitched a scoreless fifth inning, added eight more runs in the bottom of the inning.

“That was the biggest thing,” Beatty said. “It wasn’t just getting the seven runs in the fourth, it was putting up a zero in the top of the fifth.”

“(Jennings) looked incredible,” Oreskovich said. “And that helped turn things around, him putting up a zero and then us taking the lead. Awesome job by him.

Jennings (1-0) was one of two Bees pitchers to not allow a run. Zach Leuschen closed out the game with 1 ⅓ scoreless innings, shutting down the Doggy Paddlers in the seventh after they got to within 18-17. Burlington got four runs in the bottom of the seventh, then finished off the game with a five-run eighth inning.

“That’s the thing, we should have put them away in the seventh,” Yearsley said.

It was the fourth consecutive win for the Bees, who have scored 64 runs in the winning streak.

Caleb Klein and Jeremy Figueroa also drove in four runs for Burlington.

The game took 3 hours, 30 minutes, and after it ended the winners were ready to move on to the next day.

“You’re glad you won,” Yearsley said. “There’s something to be said about finding a way to win. But you just have to learn from this one. Just pretend it didn’t happen.”

“Tomorrow’s a new day,” Oreskovich said. “A new day to be better.”

Box score

Top photo: Bees designated hitter Cole Yearsley (18) is congratulated by teammates after his eighth-inning single brought in the final runs of the 27-17 win over Quincy. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)