BEES 10, LUCKY HORSESHOES 2: An Offense By Any Other Name…

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The Burlington Bees’ offense, playing under a different name on Thursday night, put up the numbers that made their starting pitcher relax.

“Makes my job easier,” said Blake Gaskey after he threw six shutout innings in Thursday’s 10-2 win over the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes at Community Field.

The Bees, who have scored 37 runs in their three wins this week, have scored 314 runs this season, ranking second in the league. They got off to a 6-0 lead after three innings, and were up 8-0 when Gaskey’s night was finished.

Gaskey was the winning pitcher in last Thursday’s game at Springfield, when the Bees won 16-6.

“Oh, it’s awesome,” Gaskey said of the run support. “Last week we played them, same thing. Came out hot, scored some runs. I mean, it’s always easier to go out there and get three outs when it’s 2-0 in the second inning.”

“Guys are just in a rhythm, you know, seeing pitches well, getting into good counts and getting good swings when they need to,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “There’s clutch hitting as well. Getting hits with runners in scoring position has been a big thing. So guys are just clicking right now, and we need them to click for about another two weeks here.”

Corey Boyette’s two-run home run in the first inning got the offense going for the Bees, who were playing as the Riverboat Rockers as part of a promotion. Caleb Klein, who had a three-hit night, drove in a run with a second-inning single, then Burlington added three runs in the third on a wild pitch, a bases-loaded walk by Noah Company, and a sacrifice fly by Cole Yearsley.

By that time Gaskey had settled into his best start of the season. He threw 80 pitches, allowing six hits and a walk while striking out five.

“Everything was working,” Gaskey said. “A few pitches missed, but if I missed, I came back with a good pitch, and it worked out. Everything was working inside. Got a few ground balls early on, and that helped the confidence.”

Gaskey (2-1) got some help from his defense as well — Springfield had two runners on with one out in the fifth inning, but Kaden Griffetts’ line drive was caught by first baseman Keanu Spenser, who raced to first to double off Jonny Marquez to end the inning.

Gaskey’s last three outs were on ground balls.

“If I can get ground balls, it makes it easier for me to pitch,” he said.

“He was really good,” Oreskovich said. “That’s kind of what I expect out of him every single time. He did his job, went out there, filled up the strike zone, made pitches, got his outs, and that’s what you want to see out of him. It’s huge every time he can come out and pitch like that for us.”

Kooper Schulte also had a three-hit night for the Bees, who had 10 hits.

The Bees (23-20 overall, 11-6 second half) stayed a half-game behind Illinois Valley for the Northwest Division lead. This was the start of a six-game stretch in which the Bees play at home five times.

“That’s huge for us,” Oreskovich said. “So we’re in a race right now to get to the playoffs. And, we want to win it. So, being at home, it helps that guys can sleep in the beds that they’re used to and get on their routine they’re used to as well.”

Photo: Bees starting pitcher Blake Gaskey threw six shutout innings in Thursday’s win over Springfield. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 15, LUMBERKINGS 7: Another Big First-Inning Answer

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The last thing Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich wanted was another big deficit.

His team had another resounding answer.

The 15-7 win over the Clinton LumberKings in Thursday’s Prospect League game at Community Field was built by the Bees’ first-inning response.

The Bees had been outscored 33-12 in their previous two games, and fell behind in this one when Clinton’s Colin Coonradt hit a three-run home run in the top of the first inning off Bees starter Jackson Rodgers.

Burlington answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning, the last three coming on Caleb Seibers home run, and the Bees wouldn’t trail again. Rodgers was able to give the Bees five innings of work, allowing one run over the last four.

“Seibs stepped up with a big homer there to take the lead, and that let J-Rod go out there with a little less pressure and pitch with a lead,” Oreskovich said.

It was the second time in less than a week that the Bees had such a response — they scored six runs in the first inning of Saturday’s 14-10 win over Normal after giving up five in the top of the inning.

The Bees then took advantage of the opportunities the LumberKings gave them the rest of the game.

Their three runs in the fourth inning came on an error, a wild pitch, and a groundout. An error in the sixth inning brought in one of the two runs. Two more errors in the seventh inning led to two runs.

The Bees finished with 10 hits.

We took advantage of all their mistakes as well,” Oreskovich said. “Which is something we haven’t been doing too much of lately. We played the game, we played the game well.”

Rodgers (3-0) struck out seven and allowed eight hits. Nick Baffa (0-1), who lasted just ⅔ of an inning, took the loss.

Burlington plays at Clinton Friday and Alton on Saturday and Sunday before getting two days off for the Prospect League’s All-Star Game in Springfield, Ill., on Tuesday. Five Bees were selected to represent the team — Seibers, infielder Kooper Schulte, catcher Mason Schwalbach, and pitchers Braeden Sunken and Kaelen Clarkson. Burlington and Clinton had the most players selected.

“Those guys, they worked their tail off to get that opportunity,” Oreskovich said. “They’re good baseball players, and it’s exciting they get a chance. So, you know, they’re good baseball players, and it’s exciting. I don’t know if we would have had five in years past. That’s a really cool thing for us.”

Box score

Photo: Burlington’s Caleb Seibers watches his first-inning home run. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Bees Send 5 To Prospect League All-Star Game

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Five Burlington Bees players have been selected to play in next week’s Prospect League All-Star Game.

Catcher Mason Schwalbach, infielders Kooper Schulte and Caleb Seibers, and pitchers Braeden Sunken and Kaelen Clarkson were selected to the Western Conference team for the July 8 game in Springfield, Ill.

Schulte, a shortstop who plays for Iowa, is batting .325 with two home runs and 22 runs batted in. He leads the team with four triples and is tied for the team lead with six doubles. He has a .944 OPS.

Schwalbach, who plays at Southern Illinois, is batting .383 and has driven in 15 runs in 17 games.

**Caleb Seibers celebrates a single. Seibers is one of five Burlington Bees selected to play in the Prospect League All-Star Game. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)**

Seibers, a sophomore third baseman from Olney Central College, is batting .293. He is second on the Bees with four home runs.

Sunken, from Maryville University, is 2-1 with a 3.11 earned run average. He has a team-high five saves in 11 appearances, with 14 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings.

Clarkson, from SUNY-Plattsburgh, has made four starts for the Bees. He is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA, allowing 13 hits in 15 innings. He has walked three while striking out 12.

Schulte will also participate in the Home Run Derby on July 7, competing against Caleb Clealand (Alton River Dragons), Baden Hackworth (O’Fallon Hoots). Wally Diaz (REX Baseball), Brady Lester (Champion City Kings), Hunter Snow (Lafayette Aviators), Louie Barletti (Springfield Lucky Horseshoes) and Cole Nathan (Dubois County Bombers).

It is the first All-Star Game for the Prospect League since 2019. The Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp coaching staff, led by manager John Jakiemiec, will coach the West. The REX Baseball coaching staff, led by Manager Tony Rosselli, will coach the East.

Top photo: Shortstop Kooper Schulte is one of five Burlington Bees named to the Western Conference team for next Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Springfield, Ill. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Rollins Ready To Work After Late Arrival To Bees

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Danny Rollins was a little late getting to the Burlington Bees for the Prospect League season.

There was this matter of going to the Men’s College World Series with his Murray State team.

Rollins was a second-year catcher on the Racers, whose surprising run through the NCAA baseball tournament got them to Omaha as one of the eight qualifiers to play for the national championship.

“That was one of the most fun teams I’ve ever been a part of,” Rollins said. “Everybody there, we all loved each other. And that experience of going to Omaha, you think it’s cool before you get there, and then you get there and it’s like, ‘Oh, my God.’ It was just an unbelievable experience.”

Murray State, which won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and the league’s automatic bid into the field, was the fourth seed in the Oxford (Miss.) Regional, but got out of there and advanced to the Super Regionals against Duke. The Racers won the best-of-3 series 2-1 to advance to the World Series.

Murray State’s run ended with losses to UCLA and Arkansas, but getting to Omaha gave the program plenty of visibility.

“(Head coach Dan) Skirka is one of the best coaches in the nation,” Rollins said. “He had us prepared from day one. We were getting hot at the right time, and he made sure our hitters were prepared, and we took care of business.”

“I think it was huge for the program, just to prove that we’re worth something, and that Racer baseball has a winning culture under Coach Skirka. He’s really taken the program to the next level.”

Rollins didn’t play in the postseason — he had just four at-bats in two games. That is what makes this summer with the Bees important for him.

“I was just ready to play with the guys, get acclimated with the team, and have fun, play some baseball and win some ballgames,” said Rollins, who is from Roselle, Illinois. “I think it’s really important to get as many at-bats as I can. If I can get out there, get 80, 100 at-bats, that’s a pretty good number.”

“He’s just a grinder, just a competitor,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said of Rollins. “When he goes up to the plate, he wants to compete, he wants to beat you. He’s just a guy who’s going to go out there and give you everything he has.”

**Danny Rollins is hitting .333 in five games with the Burlington Bees. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)**

Rollins has gotten 18 plate appearances in five games with the Bees, hitting .333. He has had a hit in every game so far, and after catching the first four games played third base in Sunday’s 6-2 win over Clinton.

“I saw a picture the other day, and he had an infield mitt on throwing the ball across the field,” Oreskovich said. “And then he came up to me today and he said, ‘Yeah, I can play infield. I played there in high school and at Murray State.’ And I was like, ‘OK.’”

Rollins had four assists and two putouts at third.

“He made some good plays there,” Oreskovich said.

Community Field is going to be a home for Rollins for the next college season as well — he entered the transfer portal after Murray State’s season ended and he’ll be playing for Southeastern Community College in West Burlington after committing to the Blackhawks on Saturday.

“Coach (Justin) Schulte, he’s the dude,” Rollins said. “He’s got over a thousand wins, and he puts guys to work. It’s not going to be easy, I’ve learned that from the guys here who have played for him, but it seems 100 percent worth it to play here. I’ve met with Coach Schulte, I’ve talked with him a couple of times. I like him. I like what he’s about.

“I know they have a winning culture, so I’m excited to go there, keep that culture alive, keep winning ballgames, and then develop as a player and see where it takes me after that.”

Top photo: Burlington Bees catcher Danny Rollins was part of the Murray State team that made a run to the Men’s College World Series earlier this month. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 6, LUMBERKINGS 2: Starters Getting Some Distance

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich is getting some distance out of his starting pitching.

Reese Ellison gave the Bees six innings in Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Clinton LumberKings in a Prospect League game at Community Field.

Ellison’s performance was the latest with some length for the Bees. They got five innings out of Danny Harris after he gave up five runs in the first inning of Saturday’s 14-10 win over Normal. Jackson Rodgers went seven innings in Friday’s 6-4 loss to Quincy.

“Anything we can do to save our bullpen, the better,” Ellison said. “And that’s what we’re doing so far here to start the second half. We want to keep that rolling.”

“If you’ve got to go to your bullpen early, and ask a guy that maybe isn’t entirely comfortable to go two innings, that’s a tough ask, but sometimes you’ve got to do it,” Oreskovich said. “If our starters can go deep into games, and we can go one (inning), one, one, with our relievers, that’s the best-case scenario.”

Ellison threw 74 pitches, allowing just five hits while walking one and striking out four. He had three-up, three-down innings in the first, fourth and fifth innings.

“Excellent defense,” Ellison said. “Every pitch was working for me. I was throwing it in the (strike) zone, they were hitting ground balls, fly balls, and the defense made plays.”

“He was very good,” Oreskovich said. “He had three pitches where he wanted to throw them, throwing strikes when he had to. Even when he got behind, he came back, threw strikes. I love what I see out of him when he’s out there.”

***Burlington’s Corey Boyette celebrates his third-inning home run (Photo by John Lovretta)***

Corey Boyette’s three-run home run in the third inning started the Bees’ offense and helped Ellison as well.

“I was getting curveballs over for first strikes, getting them to swing at my changeup,” Ellison said. “When Corey hit that homer, I had all the confidence in the world after that.”

The Bees added two runs in the fourth inning. Danny Rollins scored on a throwing error, then Caleb Klein’s single drove in Jace Figuereo.

Clinton got single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, then the Bees’ bullpen took over. Morgan Jennings pitched 1 1/3 innings, Zane Frese got out of a bases-loaded situation in the eighth, then Braeden Sunken pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out Sam Wiese to end the game with runners at first and second.

Burlington’s final run came in the eighth when Klein’s single scored Rollins.

“That was a key hit there by Kleiner,” Oreskovich said. “That’s huge. Any breathing room you can get helps.”

The Bees had four hits. Figuereo was 4-for-5 out of the leadoff spot, while Mason Schwalbach had three hits.

Top photo: Burlington Bees starting pitcher Reese Ellison allowed five hits over six innings. (Photo by John Lovretta)

BEES 14, CORNBELTERS 10: The Perfect Formula To Start The Second Half

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The answer to five was six.

The answer to five was one over the next four.

It sounds like a couple of crazy math equations, but it was how the Burlington Bees defeated the Normal CornBelters 14-10 in Saturday’s Prospect League second-half opener at Community Field.

The Bees fell behind 5-0 after the top of the first inning, then came back with six runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, starting a night of scoreboard action that ended when reliever Zach Leuschen got Jackson Smith to ground out to end the game with runners on second and third.

“Going down five, before you even hit, it was kind of tough,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “But you know what? You could see it didn’t bother our guys. They’re going to go up there, take their (at-bats), and piece something together.”

“First inning, out on the field, the energy wasn’t there,” said shortstop Kooper Schulte, who had four hits and drove in three runs. “Once we got the six runs, we had great energy. We knew we could pull this thing out.”

Bees starting pitcher Danny Harris gave up four hits in that first inning, including a three-run home run to Jack Novak.

But Burlington bounced back right away, starting with Cole Yearsley’s single to lead off the inning.

“Cole got us going,” Schulte said. “And the whole lineup kept it going.”

Yearsley scored on Miles Risley’s single, then Mason Schwalbach drove home two runs with a single. Schulte followed with a home run to left-center field, and Caleb Seibers followed with the first of his two home runs, and suddenly the Bees had a 6-5 lead.

Normal tied the game in the top of the second inning on an unearned run, then Harris (2-2) held them scoreless over the next three innings.

“I was hoping after that first inning (Harris) would go out there and throw up zeros, and he pretty much did that, with one run over the next four innings,” Oreskovich said. “He showed he still had it, and I wanted to see that out of him.”

The Bees took the lead with a three-run third inning. Schwalbach’s double drove in Jace Figuereo. Seibers hit a two-run home run two batters later.

Burlington finished the game with 17 hits.

Openers seem to agree with Schulte — he hit for the cycle on Opening Day, going 5-for-5 in the 12-5 win over Quincy.

“It’s been a while since the other opening night,” Schulte said.

Schulte, who hit .268 at Iowa this season, had a 4-for-23 stretch at the plate for the Bees midway through June, but he’s batting .444 since then. He’s batting .337 overall and is currently on a five-game hitting streak.

“He was seeing the ball well tonight,” Oreskovich said. “He got a couple of infield singles on good hard-90s. He plays the game right, he plays the game hard. And that’s always good to see.”

Schwalbach, Schulte and Seibers, the 5-6-7 hitters in the Bees’ lineup, combined to go 9-for-15 with nine runs batted in.

“When you can have that kind of production from that part of the order, you’re going to have a good night,” Oreskovich said.

The Bees finished the first half in second place in the Northwest Division. The message for the second half, Schulte said, was easy.

“We just want to keep going,” he said. “Playoffs, playoffs, playoffs.”

Box score

Photo: Bees shortstop Kooper Schulte (9) is greeted at home plate by Mason Schwalbach (23) and Caleb Seibers after his two-run home run in the first inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

DOGGY PADDLERS 6, BEES 4: Rodgers Gives A Strong Start

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The 95th and last pitch of the night for Burlington Bees starting pitcher Jackson Rodgers was hit on the ground to second baseman Ethan McDonald.

McDonald threw to first to get Quincy’s Jimmy Koza for the last out of the seventh inning, and Rodgers pumped his fist and let out a yell.

Rodgers’ performance was one of the best of the season for a Bees starter, but it was wasted when Quincy rallied for four runs over the last two innings for a 6-4 win in Friday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.

Rodgers allowed two runs and seven hits, striking out five while walking one.

“He did a hell of a job,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “I haven’t had anyone do that this year. He did everything he could to deserve that win.”

Rodgers, a sophomore from Western Illinois University, was making his fifth start of the season. He had gone five innings in his previous three starts, but Oreskovich knew he could get some length out of him considering how he was pitching in the early innings.

“He was throwing to contact and getting his outs, getting over the plate early, making them swing,” Oreskovich said. “Hitting’s hard, so when you get ahead and throw strikes early, you force their hand, and he did a great job of that.”

“Strikeouts are fun, but they rack up the pitch count,” Rodgers said. “I was able to get a few on some good pitches, but throwing strikes in hitters’ counts, my stuff was moving enough to where it was generating a lot of weak contact.”

It was Rodgers’ fourth start against the Doggy Paddlers this season.

“I knew I was going to have to be real sharp, because they had seen me a couple of times,” he said. “The main focus was just getting ahead, staying ahead, limiting three-ball counts, limiting free bases, and the rest would take care of itself.”

Rodgers gave up one run in the first six innings. He was able to get out of the fifth inning, when he had runners on first and second with nobody out, by striking out Ashton Ertz and getting Koza to hit into a double play.

“The defense was great behind me,” Rodgers said. “They made a couple of big plays — the big double play in the fifth, and (catcher Dylan) Shepherd threw out a guy at second (Koza was caught stealing to end the third), which was big. It was just a good way to compete against myself, show some toughness out there.”

Rodgers was at 69 pitches going into the seventh inning — the league’s pitch count limit is 95 — but gave up a leadoff single to Brady Kindhart. General Schofield grounded out for the first out of the inning, then Rodgers got into a battle with Jameson Johnson, who worked a 12-pitch at-bat into a single. Krew Bond then singled to cut the lead to 4-2.

Oreskovich, though, stayed with Rodgers, who struck out Ertz before getting Koza on the grounder.

“It was awesome,” Rodgers said. “Got to dig deep, really empty the tank, just throw my best stuff out there.”

The Bees, though, couldn’t hold the lead. Quincy got a run in the eighth inning, then took the lead in the ninth.

Reliever Erick McKendry walked the first two hitters and was replaced by Mitchell Cox, who got Wandel Campana, Rodgers’ teammate at Western Illinois, to ground a ball to shortstop Colin Schmitke. Schmitke threw to second baseman Ethan McDonald to get the force out, but McDonald threw wildly at first in an attempt to get a double play, and Johnson scored the tying run.

Koza walked, then with two outs Tyler Butina singled to score Campana and Koza.

“We’ve got to throw strikes early in the count,” Oreskovich said. “We can’t let free bases happen, it’s hurt us all year.”

Burlington finished the first half of the season 13-14 and in second place in the Northwest Division. The Bees begin second-half play with Saturday’s home game against the Normal CornBelters.

“It’s a fresh start going into tomorrow,” Oreskovich said. “The guys have been talking about it, so we’re going to see what we can do in the second half.”

Rodgers was happy with what he got out of the first half.

“It’s awesome being a place like Burlington,” he said. “Fans are great, I get to play with a great group of guys, and I feel like I’ve had a lot of success too. I feel like I’ve grown and built on each start, and I’m excited to see where I can go from here.”

Photo: Burlington Bees starter Jackson Rodgers allowed two runs in seven innings in Friday’s loss to Quincy. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 6-11, PISTOL SHRIMP 5-10: Boyette’s Big Night Leads To Sweep

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Corey Boyette is in his third season with the Burlington Bees, so manager Owen Oreskovich knows what he is going to get out of him.

Boyette hitting two home runs in two games on Thursday night, then, wasn’t a surprise.

“That kid’s a stud,” Oreskovich said after the Bees swept the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp, 6-5 and 11-10, in Prospect League games at Community Field.

Boyette’s seventh-inning home run in the first game, a suspended game from June 24, proved to be the winning margin after the Pistol Shrimp rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. His second home run, a three-run shot to right field in the second game, capped a five-run sixth inning and also proved to be crucial after Illinois Valley scored three runs in the top of the seventh.

“I’m just glad to be out here helping the team,” said Boyette, who will be a senior at Lipscomb University. “It worked out where (the home runs) were pretty important. So I’m glad I could do what I could do.”

Boyette has hit .272 in his three seasons with the Bees, with 11 home runs and 59 runs batted in. He is batting .350 over his last six games, and is tied for the team lead with 21 RBIs

“When he texted me and told me he’s going to be here all summer, that was something I was extremely excited about,” Oreskovich said. “He got off to a little slow start, but he’s probably second or third on our team in RBIs. So he’s a kid you want up with runners in scoring position.”

“This is just my home away from home,” Boyette said. “Got a great relationship with the coaching staff, and I just want to come here and help them win.”

The Bees trailed 7-6 going into the bottom of the sixth before their offense broke out. Danny Rollins’ single to center field scored Kooper Schulte. Caleb Seibers’ triple scored Rollins to put Burlington in front. Three batters later, Boyette pounded a fastball from Jared Herzog (1-1) over the right-field fence.

“I expected him to go back to the heater, and he did,” said Boyette, who walked against Herzog in the fifth inning. “Didn’t miss it.”

Illinois Valley threatened in the top of the seventh inning. The Pistol Shrimp scored three runs and had runners on second and third with two outs, but Bees reliever Braeden Sunken, pitching for the second time on the night, got Kyle Gibson to ground out to end the game.

Shawn Scott (1-0) was the winning pitcher.

***Burlington Bees reliever Braeden Sunken closed out both wins. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)***

The suspended game was tied at 3 when it resumed with the Bees batting in the sixth inning, and it didn’t take them long to get runs.

Seibers and Caleb Klein each drove in runs in the sixth inning, then Boyette’s home run in the seventh pushed the lead to 6-3.

Illinois Valley got both of its runs in the seventh off Sunken, who then got A.J. Weller to ground out with a runner on second base to end the game.

Parker Lewin (1-1) was the winning pitcher. Caleb Okada (2-2) was the losing pitcher.

The first half of the Prospect League season ends on Friday — the Bees play host to Quincy — then the second half opens Saturday with the Bees playing host to Normal.

“These guys have a want to win,” Oreskovich said. “So when we can’t, it bothers them just as much as it bothers me. So it was really good to close out that first one, jump on them kind of right away (in the second game), and then finish it out. Little nervous at the end of both of them, but that’s two (wins), so can’t complain about that.”

Top photo: Burlington’s Corey Boyette hits a three-run home run in Thursday’s second game against Illinois Valley. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 7-6, PISTOL SHRIMP 4-9: A Split To End A Long Weekend

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

A long weekend for the Burlington Bees ended with a doubleheader split on Sunday at Community Field.

The Bees, playing their second doubleheader in a 28-hour span, defeated the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp 7-4 in the first game before letting the second game get away, 9-6.

The Bees (11-13) are out of the race for the Northwest Division title heading into the final week first half of the Prospect League season, and manager Owen Oreskovich knows the second half has to be about consistency, something he didn’t see in Sunday’s two games.

“We had hits at the right time (in the first game),” Oreskovich said. “We had to be better throughout the game in that second game, and make pitches when we needed to.”

It had been a grueling weekend for the Bees. They travelled to Clinton on Friday and were taking batting practice there when they were told the game was postponed because of wet grounds. That forced a doubleheader on Saturday, with the LumberKings taking both games.

Then came this doubleheader, which included a make-up game from an earlier rainout.

The Bees led 2-1 and 6-4 in the second game, and couldn’t close it out. A three-run home run by Tyler Dorsch gave Illinois Valley (11-11) a 7-6 lead in the sixth inning, then Pambos Nicoloudes hit a two-run home run in the seventh for the final margin.

“They felt pretty comfortable (at the plate) in the last two innings,” Oreskovich said. “Probably most schools in the country, and we talk about it here too, talk about throwing up a zero in the next inning after you take a lead. We didn’t do that in the second game.”

Jared Rodriguez (1-1) was the winning pitcher. Zach Leuschen (0-1) took the loss.

The Bees jumped on the Pistol Shrimp early in the first game.

Mason Schwalbach had run-scoring singles in the first and second innings, and Corey Boyette had a two-run double, as Burlington built an early 4-1 lead. Caleb Seibers hit a two-run home run in the third inning — he would have another two-run shot in the second game — and Jace Figuereo had a sacrifice fly in the fifth to provide the Bees’ final run.

Alex Logan (1-2) was the winning pitcher. Braeden Sunken pitched a scoreless seventh inning for his fourth save.

Photo: Burlington’s Caleb Klein catches a fly ball in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader against Illinois Valley. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 10, DOGGY PADDLERS 5: Setting Up The Weekend

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The Burlington Bees’ first-half division title hopes rest on the next two games.

The Bees play at Clinton Friday and Saturday as the first half of the Prospect League season heads into final few games.

Burlington’s 10-5 win over the Quincy Doggy Paddlers on Thursday night at Community Field put the Bees into a better spot.

Burlington (10-10) is in second place, 3 1/2 games behind Clinton in the Northwest Division heading into the final two matchups against the LumberKings in the first half.

“We’ve got to win these two games against Clinton,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “Those are two giant games for us. And you know, Clinton’s been kind of rolling lately, so it would be good to go in there and shut them down two days in a row.”

The Bees had 18 hits against the Doggy Paddlers, taking control of the game with a three-run fourth inning and a three-run sixth.

“And we could have had a few more runs,” said Oreskovich, pointing out the 11 men left on base. “A couple of teams I’ve been around, when they start hitting like that everybody gets going. I think that’s the way it is with this team.”

The Bees rank second in the league with 180 hits, and are fifth with a .269 team batting average.

The middle of their lineup did the most damage in this game. No. 2 hitter Miles Risley was 4 for 5 and scored twice. Corey Boyette, the No. 3 hitter, was 3 of 4 and hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning that put the Bees in front to stay. Mason Schwalbach, hitting fourth, was 2 for 5 and drove in two runs. No. 5 hitter Kooper Schulte was also 2 for 5 and drove in a run.

“Those guys are coming together,” Oreskovich said. “They’re becoming really close, giving their little secrets away to each other during the game, things they see. Those are some good hitters in that lineup. So being able to learn from each other and then take that into your at bats and get good pitches and execute is the goal.”

Bees starting pitcher Jackson Rodgers (2-1) scattered five hits over five innings, striking out four.

“He gave up a couple of solo home runs, but that’s going to happen,” Oreskovich said. “I thought he pitched pretty well.”

The Bees got 11 hits in five innings off Quincy starter Hayden Steelman (1-2).

Photo: Burlington’s Corey Boyette watches his three-run home run in the fourth inning of Thursday’s game. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)