By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
Every run the Burlington Bees scored in Monday’s 8-7 win over the Normal CornBelters came with two outs.
“And that’s how you win games,” manager Owen Oreskovich said. “It’s just plain and simple.”
“That says we don’t quit with two outs,” said designated hitter Dash Denton, whose ninth-inning single brought home pinch-runner Noah Company with the winning run.
The Bees (5-2) extended their winning streak to four games by rallying from an early 4-0 deficit with the timely hits and a bullpen that only allowed one unearned run from the third through eighth innings.
“We don’t ever get down on ourselves,” Denton said. “Even though we’re down in the game, we’ve got to keep going, keep scoring.”
The CornBelters (3-4) tied the game in the top of the ninth with their own two-out magic when Caleb Royer hit a two-run home run off Bees reliever Parker Lewin (1-0). The home run, Denton said, didn’t affect the Bees’ mood.
“We knew we were going to win in the bottom of the ninth, no doubt about it,” he said.
Keanu Spenser led off the inning with a walk and was replaced at first by Company, who immediately stole second base. Corey Boyette was called out on strikes, then Abrahan Rios was intentionally walked. Griffin Bushnell struck out for the second out, bringing Denton up. Denton then singled past third baseman Nolan McCrossin, and Company came home with the winning run.
The Bees slowly carved away at the early Normal lead.
Kooper Schulte hit a two-run home run in the third inning, then Spenser got the Bees to within 4-3 on an RBI single in the fifth.
Boyette then put Burlington in front with a two-run single in the seventh, followed by Rios’ RBI single.
Normal cut the lead to 6-5 in the eighth on an unearned run. The Bees got that run back in the bottom of the inning on Caleb Seibers’ run-scoring single.
Bees starter Alex Logan gave up four runs in the first two innings, but relievers Jack Duncan and Kaimana Burgo kept the CornBelters from adding on to their lead. Duncan pitched two scoreless innings despite allowing six baserunners, including four who were hit by pitches. Burgo scattered three hits over three scoreless innings while striking out four.
Shawn Scott overcame wildness to the first two hitters he faced to get out of the eighth with only the unearned run. Lewin was able to get out of the ninth inning after the home run, getting a lineout from Shea Zbrosek with runners on first and second to end the inning.
“Dunc didn’t have his good stuff but he got us two zeros,” Oreskovich said. “Kaimana did a fantastic job — three zeros, filled up the (strike) zone. Shawn got out of his inning. (Lewin) made good pitches except the one he left a little too far out over the plate.
“This was really a team win.”
Two-out magic makes a big difference.
“Never gave up,” Oreskovich said. “It would have been easy to give up, especially after that second inning. But just that speaks words about this group we got here, and you know, it might be something special.”
Top photo: Burlington Bees players congratulate Dash Denton (8) after his game-winning hit on Monday. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)
Published
June 2, 2025
