Bees strike early, cruise past LumberKings 11–5 in Friday night showdown
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Burlington Bees | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 2 |
|
Clinton LumberKings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
CLINTON, Iowa – Owen Nowak reached base five times and drove in four runs as the Burlington Bees (29-12, 17-7) jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in an 11–5 win in back-to-back nights over the Clinton LumberKings (31-17, 14-10) on Friday night at NelsonCorp Field.
Nowak went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer in the first inning, a run-scoring single in the third, and two walks. His home run to right field capped a four-run first as Burlington put immediate pressure on Clinton starter Camden Clewett (1–3), who allowed five runs—just two earned—in 1 2/3 innings.
The Bees piled on with three more runs in the third and two in the fifth, taking a commanding 10–0 lead by the time Clinton broke through in the sixth. Kooper Schulte added a 3-for-6 night with four runs scored and an RBI, while Dominic Teixeira drove in three without a hit, thanks to two sacrifice flies and a bases-loaded walk.
Colten Clarahan (2–0) earned the win for Burlington, tossing 5 2/3 innings and allowing four runs on three hits. He struck out three and walked two. Kyle Smith and Braeden Sunken handled the final 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
Clinton mounted a brief comeback in the sixth inning. Brayden Mulkey roped a two-run double to center, and Jaime Rasmussen followed with a two-run double of his own to trim the deficit to 10–4. Drew Terpins added an RBI single in the eighth, but the LumberKings never got closer than five.
Clewett took the loss for Clinton after issuing seven walks and hitting a batter. The LumberKings' pitching staff combined to walk 14 batters, with three wild pitches and three errors adding to a sloppy defensive night. The Bees tie the record for most runners left on base with 17, marking the third time that has happened against the LumberKings - last on July 21, 2024, vs the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes.
The Bees and Pistol Shrimp are both looking to clinch the second half of the Northwest division, with the winner playing the LumberKings on August 1st at NelsonCorp Field for the Northwest Division Championship. The LumberKings travel to Peru, IL, to take on the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp at Schweikert Stadium with first pitch set for 4:05 p.m.
Fans can watch the game on www.prospectleaguenetwork.com or listen to the game for free www.wcciradio.com or tune in on 100.3 WCCI-FM.