By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

A balk that brought in the go-ahead run.

A dropped third strike that ended a game on a play when no one quite knew what happened.

Oh, and there was the 5-3-2 double play on a sacrifice bunt.

There will be nights in the Prospect League when games can get a little strange, and the Normal CornBelters’ 6-4 win over the Burlington Bees on Wednesday at Community Field was one of those.

An eighth-inning balk called on Bees reliever Jaden Siemer brought in Scott Newman with the go-ahead run, then J.D. Bogart’s single drove in Daniel Young with a second run as Normal (5-2) held on for the win and ended the three-game home winning streak for the Bees (3-4).

“It’s a little frustrating, for sure,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said.

The Bees had tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning on Cedric Dunnwald’s two-run single with one out, but two strikeouts sandwiched around a Kooper Schulte walk that loaded the bases ended the inning.

“We still had a chance to fight and score some runs earlier, to make (the balk) not a problem,” Oreskovich said.

The CornBelters had runners on first and third in the eighth when base umpire Louis Galligan called the balk on Siemer.

“He said (Siemer) didn’t come set,” Oreskovich said. “But I thought he was doing the same thing he had been doing the whole time.”

Bogart, hitting No. 8 in the lineup, then singled to left field to score Young.

“It kind of gave them a little momentum there, and then they get a base hit out of the ‘8’ hole,” Oreskovich said.

The Bees were retired in order over the last two innings, although there was some confusion on the final out. A 2-2 pitch to Dunnwald went over the glove of Bogart, the CornBelters’ catcher. The pitch was called a strike, but Dunnwald stood at home plate before realizing the call. Bogart was able to track the ball down and throw Dunnwald out at first.

Oreskovich argued the call with plate umpire Brian Ingram, but the game was over.

Four Bees pitchers combined for five walks and 11 strikeouts, but three of the runs in the game were unearned.

“I thought our pitchers did a great job, all around,” Oreskovich said. “They did their job for us to win the game. They just had hits with runners in scoring position when they got them there, and they took advantage of some mistakes, too.”

Bees starter Jacob Zahner walked one and struck out five in five innings.

Dylan Haslett, who relieved Zahner, walked Young to lead off the sixth. Camden Ruby followed with a bunt up the third-base line. Third baseman Jaden Hackbarth fielded the ball and threw Ruby out at first, but Young started to head to third since no one was covering the base. Catcher Ian Wolski raced to cover the base, making the tag on Young for the second out.

Drake Downing (1-0) was the winning pitcher.

ON DECK: The Bees are on the road to play the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes on Thursday in a game that won’t count in the standings for either team. The two teams will play a similar game at Community Field on June 29.

NOTES: Schulte went 2-for-4 with a double and a run. He has six hits in his first nine at-bats since joining the team on Sunday. … Hackbarth had two hits and scored twice.

Box score

Photo: Bees catcher Ian Wolski tags out Normal’s Daniel Young at third base in the sixth inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The difference between Rem Maxwell’s first start of the season and the second start was every pitch was working.

And, by the way, he didn’t have food poisoning.

Maxwell gave up one run in six innings, and the Burlington Bees backed him with 11 hits in a 12-2 win over the Quincy Gems in Tuesday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.

The Bees (3-3), who moved into a first-place tie with Clinton in the Great River Division, snapped a three-game losing streak and stayed undefeated at home in a game that was stopped in the seventh inning because of the league’s 10-run rule.

Maxwell allowed just four hits while striking out eight. He threw 96 pitches, 59 for strikes, but it was his command that impressed Bees manager Owen Oreskovich.

Maxwell, who got the Opening Night start against the Gems last Wednesday, threw just three innings in that game, walking four and striking out two.

“I’ve got to give that kid credit,” Oreskovich said. “He had three pitches tonight, instead of one and a half in the opener. He kind of had his breaking ball (in the opener), but he didn’t have his change-up. He had all three tonight, and that was the big difference.”

“I felt comfortable out there,” Maxwell said. “Just throwing strikes.”

He also wasn’t throwing up.

“I think I threw up 15 times (on Wednesday),” Maxwell said. “Came in after I came out of the game, threw up all over the place. It wasn’t the best, I’ll tell you that.”

Maxwell didn’t throw an inning this season at Georgia Southern. Going as long as he did in this game, and almost reaching the league’s 100-pitch limit, felt good, he said.

“I haven’t done that in a while,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell, who had a 1-2-3 first inning, got into trouble in the second inning. The Gems (1-5) put together three singles to start the inning, but Maxwell escaped without allowing a run. Joe Huffman struck out, then Luke Jessen hit a pop fly down the third-base line that Bees’ shortstop Kooper Schulte caught in foul territory. Maxwell then got a called third strike on Harry Oden to end the inning.

“They came in the dugout after that inning, and I said, ‘That’s how you pitch, boys,’” Oreskovich said.

“Very huge to get out of that,” Maxwell said. “I’ll tell you, I couldn’t have done that without the other guys out there. I’ve got a bunch of great guys behind me. It’s just trusting them.”

Maxwell then retired the next nine hitters before allowing a run in the sixth inning to end his night.

“It’s great, knowing where every ball is going,” Maxwell said. “If they hit it, they hit it. If they don’t, they don’t.”

The Bees put constant pressure on three Gems pitchers. Mason Schwalbach’s solo home run in the first inning and Keanu Spenser’s sole homer in the second set an early tone. Burlington added three runs in the third, then seven in the fifth inning.

Schulte had three hits and drove in three runs. Spenser had three hits and drove in two. Both were close to a cycle — Schulte needed a home run and Spenser needed a triple, which he could have had a chance at in the sixth inning when his drive into the left-center field gap was chased down by Jessen. 

“Keanu would have had a chance if he had burned that kid,” Oreskovich said. “He said he would have went for (the triple).”

UP NEXT: The Bees play host to the Normal CornBelters in Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. game. Jake Zahner (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will get the start for Burlington.

NOTES: The Bees’ bench is getting deeper. Schulte joined the team on Sunday. Pitcher Aiden McGee has also joined the team, as has outfielder Simon Turner. Pitchers Drew Martin and Jake Jakubowski are expected next week, and outfielder Coy Sarsfield will join the team this weekend. “We’re getting there,” Oreskovich said. “It does feel like we have more options.” … The Bees’ game with Quincy on Sunday is being counted as a complete game, a 7-5 loss, despite the game being stopped in the middle of the fifth inning because of lighting issues. “It’s called a complete game, and that’s all I’m going to say about it,” Oreskovich said, smiling.”

Box score

Top photo: Bees pitcher Rem Maxwell allowed just one run in six innings in Tuesday’s win over Quincy. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Keanu Spenser walked into the Burlington Bees’ dugout before Thursday’s game against Illinois Valley and started getting his bats ready.

Unlike many of the college players in the Prospect League, playing with wood bats is something Spenser doesn’t need to adjust to this summer.

Spenser, who plays at Scottsdale (Arizona) Community College, plays in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, which is one of the few junior college conferences where wood bats are used.

“So I really didn’t have to change anything coming here,” Spenser said. “My conference is all wood-bat. If anything, if I swung a metal bat right now, I’d have to adjust.”

Spenser hit .301 with 12 doubles and three home runs this season at Scottsdale. He has played first base in the Bees’ first five games, hitting .222 with two doubles and four runs batted in.

Spenser, who grew up in Scottsdale, was planning on playing this summer in a league in Palm Springs, California when he found out the Bees were looking for a first baseman.

“I got a call, they offered me a spot (with the Bees), and I said, ‘Yeah,’” Spenser said. “There was no doubt about not coming here.

“I was coming out here experiencing everything new, not knowing a single person. For me, I love that. It’s nothing but opportunity.”

Not that it’s easy to get to Burlington from Arizona.

“Flew in on the little 8-seater plane,” Spenser said, laughing. “We were walking out on the tarmac and I was like, ‘Oh, all right. I see what we’re flying in.’”

Spenser’s biggest adjustment in baseball was learning how to play first base.

“All the way up to my senior year of high school, I was a catcher,” he said. “Two weeks before the season, I was told I had arthritis in my knee. So basically I needed to stop catching.

“It was a big change, but I was willing to do anything to play baseball.”

What Spenser is hoping for the summer with the Bees — he is planning on playing the full season — is catching the attention of four-year colleges as he gets ready for his sophomore season at Scottsdale.

“It’s just more exposure,” he said. “Maybe some coaches haven’t seen me. Because I’m still trying to find somewhere to go, and hopefully this gets me more exposure.”

Spenser is adjusting to the Midwest summer — “This isn’t much different than Arizona,” he said. “Maybe more bugs and it’s a little more humid.” — but he’s willing to look at any future college opportunity.

“I would love to play in warm weather,” Spenser said. “But I’ll play anywhere if I can keep playing baseball and keep getting better.”

A DEEPER ROSTER

The Bees’ roster will grow as teams are eliminated from postseason tournaments.

Kooper Schulte joined the team for Sunday’s game at Quincy. Schulte, an infielder from New London who plays at Central Arizona College, was in Oklahoma watching the Southeastern Community College team coached by his father, Justin, play in the NJCAA Division II World Series.

Three players from that tournament — pitchers Drew Martin and Jake Jakubowski from champion Heartland Community College, and infielder Caleb Wulf from runner-up Southeastern Community College — also are expected to join the Bees this week.

Iowa outfielder Coy Sarsfield is available after the Hawkeyes were eliminated from the NCAA tournament on Sunday night. Sarsfield scored the go-ahead run in Iowa’s 6-5 win over North Carolina in an elimination game. Outfielder Will Mulflur, another Hawkeye, is expected to join the team the second half of the season.

BEES BY THE NUMBERS

Tanner Holland opened the season with three two-hit games as part of a four-game hitting streak. Holland is hitting .389 with seven hits and five runs. … Mason Schwalbach has eight runs batted in through the first five games. Schwalbach is hitting .313. … Ian Wolski is batting .375 and Cedric Dunnwald is hitting .357.

AROUND THE PROSPECT LEAGUE

Chris Hall of the Cape Catfish is one of the hottest hitters in the league after the first week. Hall is batting .667 with 10 runs scored, 11 RBIs, and five stolen bases. Teammate Justin Carinci is hitting .556. … The Catfish were the only undefeated team after the first week, going 4-0. … Normal and Lafayette lead their respective divisions with 4-1 records. … Clinton leads the Great River Division with a 3-2 record.

Top photo: Keanu Spenser looks to make the play at first base for the Burlington Bees in last Wednesday’s season opener. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

David Brauer is trying to get to know everything about the Prospect League.

Brauer, the new commissioner of the 17-team summer baseball league for college players in the Midwest, has taken his first few weeks on the job to get, as he said, an idea of “the pulse” of the league.

“We’ve got 17 teams, 17 different markets,” Brauer said at Friday’s Burlington Bees/Friends of Community Field Winter Banquet at the Pzazz Events Center. “They vary from teams with minor-league backgrounds like the Bees, to teams that have always been in summer college leagues. There are new franchises, and teams that have been in the league for a while. So it’s really getting a vibe for what these markets are like, what the community support is, which obviously is tremendous.”

Brauer brings to the league a background in college athletics, having spent 10 years as assistant commissioner of the Summit League, an NCAA Division I conference that includes Western Illinois University. So he understands the challenges that his new league faces.

“We’re about player development, making a great experience for the players,” he said. “At the same time, these teams are businesses, so they have to make money. It’s about finding that intersection between the communities, the teams, and the players.

“Really, the biggest key for me is trying to take inventory on what the league has done, trying to get a feel for where we want to go, and then mix in some of the ideas I have from my experience working on the college side.”

Brauer knows how competitive summer baseball has gotten.

“When this league started back in the 1960s, there were maybe three or four leagues like it around the country,” he said. “Now there’s about 30 of varying levels, depending on what the leagues put into it.

“Ours is unique because we’re trying to give that professional experience. You know, a lot of our stadiums are either old minor league parks or very capable of hosting a minor league team. So that’s a big plus. It all boils down to recruiting.”

The Prospect League recently entered into an agreement with sports analytics firm Rapsodo to provide live in-game data to players. That kind of information, Brauer said, is important to players to take back to their college programs.

“The student-athletes, they’re our biggest customer,” he said. “Word of mouth is the best way to grow our league. They’ll go back to their campuses, talk to their teammates and their coaches.”

Brauer is also looking into name-image-likeness opportunities for players, as well as mental health programs during the season.

“I think all of that is critical,” he said. “It’s just like how you would sell a college program. ‘That’s why you should come here and here’s how you can benefit from it.’

“What I would like to see us go with this at some point is to really have a multi-pronged approach — the player development side, certainly the skill development, and off-the-field development. You really can utilize that summer time. There’s so many aspects to baseball that go beyond the field that can help a player develop, that we’d really like to be toward the forefront of that.”

The league added new teams in Jackson, Tennessee, and Marion, Illinois for this season. The variety of markets, Brauer said, could be a financial benefit to the entire league.

“If you’re a business in Burlington, you’re going to advertise with the Bees,” Brauer said. “I think from a national level, the diversity of our markets, with the fact that we span across seven states, the more exposure that we can get to showcase our players, I think that that can help the revenue side.

“There’s only so much to go around, let’s be realistic. Between the summer leagues and minor league baseball, it’s competitive. But I think if we can find those revenue sources that can help us to just supplement our teams, that’s huge at the end of the day.”

Photo: Prospect League commissioner David Brauer speaks during Friday’s Burlington Bees/Friends Of Community Field Winter Banquet at the Pzazz Events Center. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)