Bees Drop Seesaw Battle to Shrimp

It was back and forth all night between the Bees and Pistol Shrimp, and not always pretty.  The Shrimp broke open an 8-8 contest dropping five runs on Burlington in the top of the ninth to take a 13-8 win.

Burlington opened the scoring in the first on an Oscar Ponce RBI single and a Ben Tallman RBI Hit by Pitch.

The Pistol Shrimp followed with 2 runs in the top of the second capped by a Tucker Bougie 2 run home run.

The Bees came back with 2 runs in the bottom of the second to make it 4-2.  With 1 out, right fielder Sam Monroe singled to center.  Spencer Nivens followed with a single to right.  An error at short loaded the bases.  Monroe scored on a Marcos Sanchez ground out to first.  Monroe scored.  Ryan Grace smashed an RBI single off the pitchers glove to make it 4-2 Bees.

Illinois Valley wasted no time coming back to tie it at 4 when Tucker Bougie hit a two-run blast to right field in the third.

Spencer Nivens was 4-5 for the night.  He put the Bees ahead in the bottom of the fourth with a one out double.  He scored when Marcos Sanchez singled to left. That made it 5-4 Bees.

Things went the Shrimp's way in the sixth.  A single, double, single, fielder's choice, single scored two runs and chased starter Osvaldo Mendez from the mound.  Reliever Cauy Massner struck out the first batter he faced, but gave up a sac fly and a run scoring wild pitch.  In the end Illinois Valley put up a four spot making it 8-5.

It stayed that way until things tipped back Burlington's way in the eighth.  Tucker Cole, pinch hitting for Joey Fitzgerald, walked.  Trey Adams walked.  With one out Nivens launched a massive home run to right center field tying the game.

A fielding error to begin the visitor ninth opened a floodgate for Illinois Valley.  They beat up relievers Kyle Maurer and Nick Tampa for five runs on 2 hits and an error.  The Bees gave up three walks and two wild pitches in the inning, and fell 13-8.