By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
The rally that disappeared in the shattered remains of Dalton Miller’s bat capped a frustrating week for the Burlington Bees.
The 7-5 loss to the O’Fallon Hoots in Saturday’s Prospect League game at Community Field was the third consecutive for the Bees, who lost four of their six games this week.
“I don’t know,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “It seems like we can’t finish things right now. We can’t get key hits when we need them when we have runners in scoring position.
“We’re playing losing baseball right now and that needs the change immediately.”
The Bees (4-7) had six hits and drew seven walks, but that big hit was elusive all night, especially in the ninth inning when they loaded the bases with nobody out.
Hoots manager Jeff Wetzler went with reliever Owen Nesslage to start the ninth inning, but Nesslage walked Lucas Krebs and then gave up a single to Troy Peltz. Wetzler then brought in Mason Burke, and he walked Austin Mallee to load the bases.
That was it for Burke, and in came Noah Jones, who got a 3-0 count on Miller before throwing back-to-back strikes. Miller then broke his bat connecting on Jones’ next pitch, with the ball dribbling toward Jones. Jones dodged the pieces of the bat, including the helicoptering barrel, and threw home, starting a 1-2-3 double play. Jones then struck out Adam Kudronowicz to end the game.
Kudronowicz at least went down swinging — the Bees were called out on strikes six times.
“That was very aggravating,” Oreskovich said. “And I’m not happy with anything we’re doing right now. That has to change.”
The Bees got a lead to open the game, when Miller grounded out to second base in the second inning to bring in Mallee, who had led off the inning with a triple.
Aiden Terronez (0-1), making his first start for the Bees after pitching for Illinois-Chicago in the NCAA Tournament last weekend, retired the minimum without a hit throughout the first three innings, then gave up four runs — although only two were earned — in the fourth inning.
The Bees got a run back in the sixth and had runners on second and third with one out, but Gage Handzel and Johnnie Ankenbruck struck out to end the inning.
“Struck out twice earlier in the game with guys on second and third with one out,” Oreskovich said. “That can’t happen.”
O’Fallon (5-5) scored two runs in the seventh inning when Jaylan Patterson issued back-to-back walks with the bases loaded.
The Bees scored three runs in the eighth inning after loading the bases with nobody out. Handzel’s single brought in a run, then Ankenbruck hit a ball off O’Fallon pitcher Zach Taylor that first baseman John Connors fielded for an out as another run scored. Juan Fernandez’s sacrifice fly brought in the third run.
Jake Collier (2-0) was the winning pitcher.
Top photo: Dalton Miller breaks his bat to start a double play in the eighth inning. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)
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Published
June 7, 2026
