Shrimp Three Run Eighth Topples Bees

In a game which featured a 50 minute delay at the start, two ejections, a combined three hit batters and a home run which appeared to bounce over the wall, Illinois Valley rallied for three runs in the eighth to prevail over Burlington 8-5.

Miscommunication with a substitute umpire caused him to arrive late for the start of the game.  The 6:30 PM first pitch was finally thrown about 7:20 PM.

Burlington struck first with two scores in the bottom of the second.  Designated hitter Marcos Sanchez led off with a single to center.  He moved to second on a wild pitch from Shrimp starter Ty Weatherly.  Catcher Nolan Elmore walked. Third baseman Mitch Wood walked to load the bases.  First baseman Weston Fulk dumped a single to center sending Sanchez home.

Illinois Valley center fielder Justin Rios, who had just moved to the outfield from first after Pistol Shrimp's Evan Evola was ejected in the top of the inning, misfired on his throw to third allowing Elmore to score as well.

Weatherly got a strikeout and a ground double play to limit the damage to two runs.

Illinois Valley tied it in the top of the fourth with the aid of a controversial Bobby Cavin home run, his third of the year.  Left fielder Kevin Santiago and center fielder Sam Monroe both gave chase to the towering fly.  As the ball came down, both players threw up their hands to indicate it had bounced over the fence off the warning track in left center.  But the hit was ruled a round tripper by the home plate umpire. 

The Shrimp tacked on another run on a sacrifice fly to tie it.  They scored two more in the top of the sixth.

The Bees came back to tie it again in the bottom half when Santiago singled to left for one of his two hits on the night.  Sanchez followed with a walk.  Elmore crashed a huge drive to deep center for a two run double.  He moved to third on a balk.

Weather got a strikeout and a pop up then gave way to Harrison Bodendorf, who induced a ground third out.

In the decisive eighth, Brady Sadler came on to pitch for the Bees.  With one out Catcher Ivan Witt hit a single to right.  He moved to second on a wild pitch.  Harry Mauterer struck out.  Witt moved to third on another wild pitch.  Rios walked and Jared Quandt drove everyone home with a triple to right.  Zach Lane, on his fourth hit of the game, drove Quandt across.  That made it 8-5, which proved to be the final margin.

Bees' pitching coach Jack Gray earned the first ejection of his young career.  As he was returning to the dugout after a mound visit in the fourth, he was run by home plate umpire David Nee for something he said as he walked.