Bees Drop Important Game to LumberKings

Poor communications in the field, plus walks, plus hit by pitch is not the formula for winning in a playoff run, and the Bees made all of those faux paus and then some in losing to Clinton 11-6 Wednesday night in Burlington.

Burlington dropped a four spot on the LumberKings in the bottom of the first to jump out to a quick lead.  Lincoln Riley, playing his first game for the Bees this season led off with a walk.  Coy Sarsfield singled to make it first and second.  A wild pitch made it second and third.  Mason Schwalbach followed with a sacrifice fly to left.  After a ground out put a runner on third, Caleb Wulf, on a 3-4 night, drove in Sarsfield.  Wulf stole second.  Jackson Fisher walked.  Cedric Dunnwald walked to load the bases.  Drew Gaskins, returning from an injury, lined a single to left scoring two runs, and Burlington was ahead 4-0.  Gaskins would leave the game an inning later with a tweak of the injury.

In the top of the second, Clinton scored on a one out Jeremy Figueroa solo shot.  Starter Jacob Zahner walked the next batter and a fielding error on a double play ball put LumberKings runners on second and third.  A single and a sac fly made it 4-3 Bees.

Clinton was awarded another free base with a hit by pitch to start the third.  A single put runners on first and second.  A walk loaded the bases.  A walk scored a run.  Another walk scored another run.  A double play scored another run.  With one hit Clinton had plated three runs.

Keanu Spenser brought the Bees a run closer with a no doubt home run in the home half of the third.

Burlington brought it to 7-6 in the sixth on an unearned run, but Clinton busted it open in the top of the seventh with four runs on three hits and that was all she wrote.

Zahner took the loss to go to 0-2.  Jack Turgasen got the win.  Drew Duckhorn earned a save with three innings of work.

The Bees continue the home stand when Alton comes to town Thursday.  First pitch is 6:30 PM.