Newcomers Bookend Bees Win

Burlington beat Illinois Valley 9-8 on Thursday night, as Bees newcomers Blake Gaskey (0-0) went four innings in his first appearance for the club.  Drew Martin, making his initial showing, came in to throw a scoreless 8^th and 9^th to earn his first save.

Gaskey allowed three runs in the first, then settled in to fill out the four frame stint.  He left the game with an 8-4 lead.

Down the three runs after a half inning, Burlington came right back to score three of their own in the home first.  With one out, the red hot Kooper Schulte doubled to the left field gap.  Designated hitter Mason Schwalbach followed with a triple to plate Schulte, and gather his first of three runs batted in on the night.  Cather Ian Wolski drove Schwalbach home with base knock.  Coy Sarsfield kept it going on a single to right.  Wolski was headed to third as the throw from Shrimp right fielder Tyler Dorsch sailed into foul territory.  That allowed the Bees catcher to score, tying the contest at 3-3.

Illinois Valley scored a run in the third on two hits.

Burlington banged it around in the home fourth.  Drew Gaskins opened with one of his two walks in the game.  Center Fielder Tanner Holland moved him to second with a single.  Schulte singled to load the bases.  Schwalbach drove a deep sacrifice fly to the wall in left, scoring Gaskins, as everyone moved up a bag.  Wolski walked to reload the bases.  Sarsfield plated two with a double up the right field line.  Keanu Spenser earned two RBI with a double of his own to bring it to 8-4 Bees.

Dylan Haslett relieved Gaskey.  He threw the fifth and six innings, allowing single run.  The righty earned his first win of the year.

The Bees added a run in the fifth.  Gaskins walked.  Two outs later Schwalbach dumped an RBI single to right.

Adrian Nery coming on to start the seventh.  He immediately ran into trouble.  After a ground out, he walked the next batter, who stole second.  Pinch hitter Cody Kashimoto mashed an opposite field double to the corner in left.  That scored the runner from second.  Another single made it first and third.  A pop out made it two out.  Another single plated two runs.  Suddenly the Bees were only up one.

Drew Martin, who joined the club two days ago after celebrating an NJCAA Division II National Championship with Heartland Community College, shut the Shrimp down in the eighth and ninth.  He walked two and struck out two, earning a save.

The Bees (4-8) face Cape Girardeau (12-1) Friday, June 16 at Community Field.  First pitch is 6:30 PM.