By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
Corey Boyette is in his third season with the Burlington Bees, so manager Owen Oreskovich knows what he is going to get out of him.
Boyette hitting two home runs in two games on Thursday night, then, wasn’t a surprise.
“That kid’s a stud,” Oreskovich said after the Bees swept the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp, 6-5 and 11-10, in Prospect League games at Community Field.
Boyette’s seventh-inning home run in the first game, a suspended game from June 24, proved to be the winning margin after the Pistol Shrimp rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. His second home run, a three-run shot to right field in the second game, capped a five-run sixth inning and also proved to be crucial after Illinois Valley scored three runs in the top of the seventh.
“I’m just glad to be out here helping the team,” said Boyette, who will be a senior at Lipscomb University. “It worked out where (the home runs) were pretty important. So I’m glad I could do what I could do.”
Boyette has hit .272 in his three seasons with the Bees, with 11 home runs and 59 runs batted in. He is batting .350 over his last six games, and is tied for the team lead with 21 RBIs
“When he texted me and told me he’s going to be here all summer, that was something I was extremely excited about,” Oreskovich said. “He got off to a little slow start, but he’s probably second or third on our team in RBIs. So he’s a kid you want up with runners in scoring position.”
“This is just my home away from home,” Boyette said. “Got a great relationship with the coaching staff, and I just want to come here and help them win.”
The Bees trailed 7-6 going into the bottom of the sixth before their offense broke out. Danny Rollins’ single to center field scored Kooper Schulte. Caleb Seibers’ triple scored Rollins to put Burlington in front. Three batters later, Boyette pounded a fastball from Jared Herzog (1-1) over the right-field fence.
“I expected him to go back to the heater, and he did,” said Boyette, who walked against Herzog in the fifth inning. “Didn’t miss it.”
Illinois Valley threatened in the top of the seventh inning. The Pistol Shrimp scored three runs and had runners on second and third with two outs, but Bees reliever Braeden Sunken, pitching for the second time on the night, got Kyle Gibson to ground out to end the game.
Shawn Scott (1-0) was the winning pitcher.
The suspended game was tied at 3 when it resumed with the Bees batting in the sixth inning, and it didn’t take them long to get runs.
Seibers and Caleb Klein each drove in runs in the sixth inning, then Boyette’s home run in the seventh pushed the lead to 6-3.
Illinois Valley got both of its runs in the seventh off Sunken, who then got A.J. Weller to ground out with a runner on second base to end the game.
Parker Lewin (1-1) was the winning pitcher. Caleb Okada (2-2) was the losing pitcher.
The first half of the Prospect League season ends on Friday — the Bees play host to Quincy — then the second half opens Saturday with the Bees playing host to Normal.
“These guys have a want to win,” Oreskovich said. “So when we can’t, it bothers them just as much as it bothers me. So it was really good to close out that first one, jump on them kind of right away (in the second game), and then finish it out. Little nervous at the end of both of them, but that’s two (wins), so can’t complain about that.”
Top photo: Burlington’s Corey Boyette hits a three-run home run in Thursday’s second game against Illinois Valley. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)
