Dominant Pitching and Timely Hitting Leads Bees to Doubleheader Sweep over Pistol Shrimp

Peru, IL – After an 0-2 start to begin the second half, the Burlington Bees (3-2, 14-16) responded by winning three road games in two days, including a doubleheader sweep today as the Bees won by scores of 8-3 and 6-1 at Schweickert Stadium on July 1. 

Game 1 

Trailing 2-1 going into the third inning, Rowen Bergeron (LSU-Eunice) hit his sixth home run of the season, clearing the bases on a grand slam to put the Bees up 5-2. The game remained scoreless until the sixth when Illinois Valley cut the lead to 5-3 on a wild pitch. Zach Troxel (Indiana Wesleyan) entered the game with runners on second and third and one out while up by two runs and recorded a strikeout and a groundout to escape the jam. Burlington opened the game up in the seventh on RBIs from Tanner Reinartz (Huntington), Bergeron, and Kila Teixeira (Hawaii Pacific). TJ Hauser (UW-Milwaukee) started on the hill for the Bees. The righty pitched five innings while allowing three hits and two runs. He also struck out nine batters which are the most by a Bee in a start this season. Troxel threw the final 1 2/3 innings to record his second save of the summer. 

Game 2

The Bees used another big third inning to build a lead. They entered the frame up 1-0 before Troy Peltz (Iowa Western) tripled home Foti Rigopoulos (Illinois) and Lucas Krebs (Illinois). 

Adam Kudronowicz (Iowa Western) and Tate Slagle (Iowa) each had run scoring hits in the inning as well to make it a 5-0 game. Illinois Valley's only run of the game came on a double steal in the bottom of the third. Burlington would tack on one more run in the seventh, as Slagle's second hit and RBI of the 

game scored Peltz. Patrick Geary (Mesa CC) was excellent on the mound for Burlington, going five innings while giving up just one run. Braden Vanderheydt (Illinois Central College) was dominant on the hill, retiring six consecutive Pistol Shrimp batters to end the game, including five strikeouts. The Bees will return home tomorrow to open a stretch of five straight games against the Clinton LumberKings. First pitch is set for 6:30 at Community Field.