Bees Top Catfish 9-7, to Sweep Season Series

The Burlington Bees and Cape Catfish have played it close in their previous three meetings, with the Bees taking each by a single run.  Saturday's seesaw battle followed suit as Burlington earned a 9-7 win to sweep Cape in the season series.

It was a game of pitching attrition. Both teams used four pitchers, as they combined for 15 hits, 19 walks, 20 strikeouts and 4 errors while leaving a total of 22 runners on base.

Cape struck first with two runs on one hit and an error in the second.  Burlington came right back with three scores of their own in the bottom half of the frame to take a 3-2 lead.

The Catfish tied it in the third, then went ahead again in the fourth with single runs in both innings. The Bees knotted it up again in their half.

Cape scored two in their sixth on a single.  They were aided by three walks, a stolen base and a wild pitch.  6-4 visitors.

It got really ugly in the decisive home seventh.  Center Fielder AJ Henkle drew a walk.  Third baseman Oscar Ponce slapped one back to pitcher Tanner Mueller, who threw wildly to second for an error.  He hit the next batter, first baseman Weston Fulk, to load the bases.  A passed ball scored Henkle and made it second and third.

Mueller settled enough to strike out the next two batters, but walked Bees newcomer Jaden Hackbarth and Tucker Cole to score Ponce.

The Catfish went to Ray Schroeder out of the pen.  He immediately gave up a two RBI single to Trey Adams.  The Burlington second baseman was 3-4 on the night, with 4 runs batted in.  Sam Monroe walked.  A wild pitch pushed another run across.  Henkle worked his second base on balls of the inning to reload the bases.  That was all for Schroeder.  Dante Zamudio came on to induce a fly third out.

Cape tacked on a run in the ninth off Bees close Kyle Maurer.  He threw the final inning to earn his third save.  Nick Tampa tossed two innings, giving up one run and running his record to 1-1.  Mueller was charged with the loss.