Pitching Battle Goes Bees Way
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Clinton LumberKings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
|
Burlington Bees | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 4 | 3 |
The Bees finally won a game at home against Clinton, defeating the LumberKings 4-3 Thursday night at Community Field.
Starters Reece Wissinger and Tyler Stern (0-3) were both stingy early. Wissinger tossed four innings in his second start for Burlington. He gave up one run on four hits. The lanky righty walked 1 and struck out three. He threw 69 pitches, 44 for strikes. He did not figure in the decision.
For his part, Stern covered three innings, letting up just two runs on one hit. He walked two and struck out three. He wound up taking the loss. He ran into trouble in the bottom of the third. Stern plunked leadoff hitter Lincoln Riley, who promptly stole second. One out later, Corey Boyette walked, one of three free passes he received. Riley stole third. Boyette trailed him to second. Keanu Spenser drove Riley in with a sacrifice fly to left.
With the Bees up 2-1 and one out in the bottom of the fourth, Cedric Dunnwald was hit by an Evan Bender pitch. Connor Laeng made it first and second with a single to left. Jaden Hackbarth walked, loading the bases. A wild pitch scored Dunnwald. Riley earned an RBI with a ground out to shortstop. Bees now leading 4-1.
Kyle Looper (2-0) took the reins for the Bees in the fifth. The lefty held Clinton in check allowing no run on no hits. He walked one and earned his second victory of the year.
It remained 4-1 until the top of the eighth. Bees newcomer Boyd Skelley, who had a scoreless seventh, walked Will MacLean to open the frame. The 'Kings pinch ran for him with Paul Vossen, but Vossen did not need his speed, as he trotted in ahead of a mammoth Jeremy Conforti home run to right center. Now it was 4-3. Skelley pitched his way out of the inning, turning it over to David Theriot for the ninth.
Theriot pitched into, then out of trouble and was awarded a save.
Burlington closes out the season at home Saturday night, when they welcome playoff bound Quincy to town. First pitch is at 6:30 PM. Fireworks will follow the game.