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.

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)