Bringing The Momentum Home – Baseball at The Hive

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It wasn’t the cleanest of games, but a win coming off a good first week of the season?

Yeah, Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich will take that.

The Bees defeated the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes 8-5 in Sunday’s Prospect League game at Community Field to extend their winning streak to three games.

Burlington took advantage of Springfield’s pitching struggles to build an early 6-1 lead, but the Lucky Horseshoes made the game close because of three unearned runs from the Bees.

“It wasn’t pretty,” Oreskovich said. “And I think all of the guys agree with me. We’ve got to play clean baseball. Three errors led to runs every time, and we’ve got to clean that up.”

Still, Oreskovich, who went through the Bees’ 6-23 first half last season, knew his team had a good week.

“Absolutely. I’m not complaining about a win, by any means,” he said. “We’re off to a good start, and we’ve got to keep it rolling. This group seems like they’ve got a great chance to do that. And you know, we’re still missing a few key guys as well that are going to help us win some games. So that’s exciting as well.”

The Bees opened the season with a win at home at Quincy, then after two losses at Normal on Wednesday and Thursday bounced back with two wins at Clinton on Friday and Saturday.

Coming home and keeping that streak going, second baseman Ryan Skwarek said, was important.

“Huge,” he said. “Coming back after those two losses, getting the wins (at Clinton) and then coming home and getting a win, it’s big for us.”

Every Bees hitter reached base — Skwarek got on base four times and scored twice.

“We’re coming together as a team,” Skwarek said. “We’re still getting to know each other, but we’re just getting comfortable with one another, and we’re hunting pitches early and getting on base when we need to.”

The Bees got four runs in the first inning off Springfield starter Joey Woods (0-1), who left the game without recording an out. Burlington had just two hits in the inning — a leadoff single from Connor Kave and a run-scoring single by Corey Boyette — and benefitted from two hit batters, two wild pitches and a walk.

Bees starting pitcher Jackson Rodgers struck out six in five innings. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Burlington added single runs over the next four innings to help starting pitcher Jackson Rodgers (1-0) and three relievers.

Rodgers, the opening night starter for the Bees, struck out six and didn’t walk anyone in five innings to get the win.

Sunday’s game started a week in which the Bees play six games at home.

“It’s a good start, like I said,” Oreskovich said. “We just need to keep it rolling.”

NOTES: Kave extended his hitting streak to five games. Boyette, Skwarek, Caleb Seibers Conor Fitzpatrick and Keanu Spenser are on three-game hitting streaks. … The Bees play host to Normal in a noon game on Monday.

Box score

Top photo: Bees first baseman Keanu Spenser digs out a throw for the out on Springfield’s Jack Swaney.