Bees Drop Pitcher’s Duel to Clinton, Win Streak Ends at Five

Burlington, IA - It was too little, too late for the Burlington Bees (6-3). The team lost 6-3 to the Clinton Lumberkings (6-4) at Community Field June 6. 

The Bees stranded eight runners on base and never had a lead. Their winning streak is snapped at five. 

The game was controlled by the pitchers. Clinton only used two arms in eight innings. 

Going into the fifth, the scoreboard read 1-1. Danny Harris (Mesa CC) got the start, going four innings with no earned runs and four strikeouts. 

Burlington had a potential rally cut short in the third. Conor Fitzpatrick (Eureka) and Ryan Skwarek (McHenry) both singled. 

With two outs, Corey Boyette (Winthrop) ripped one to right. On a perfect throw, Fitzpatrick was out at home. 

The Bees got on board in the fourth. Cole Yearsley (Winthrop) singled to get on base. Nolan Grawe followed with a (SDSU) walk.

Noah Company (Eureka) reached on an error with two outs to get Burlington on the board. 

Clinton scored five unanswered between the fifth and eighth, capped off by a Jalen Martinez three run bomb. 

Nick Baffa got the Lumberkings start, going three runs with no earned runs. 

Will Schufreider received the win, tossing five innings out of the bullpen with two hits and no charged runs. 

Zane Frese (Winthrop) got the loss. The lefty threw two innings with one earned run. 

Burlington showed life in the bottom of the ninth. Yearsley singled and Grawe doubled for his first Burlington RBI. Yearsley finished 2 for 2 and was hit by a pitch twice.

Fitzpatrick pulled the team within three on an infield single. 

Mason Schwalbach (Southern Illinois) acted as the tying run with two outs, hitting a ball towards deep left that resulted in a flyout to end the game.

The two teams face off again June 7 at 6:30 p.m, with the winner having the lead in the Northwest Division.