Sanchez Grand Slam Powers Bees Past Clinton

Sanchez Grand Slam Powers Bees Past Clinton
Box Score
July 10, 2022

FROM BURLINGTON:

BURLINGTON, Iowa - The Bees used the long ball to build a 12-4 lead then hung on to take a 12-9 win over the Clinton LumberKings on Community Basket Day in Burlington.

Designated hitter Marcos Sanchez launched two home runs, including a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth that proved to be the winning margin. The big lefty had 6 runs batted in on the afternoon.

Oscar Ponce drove in two and scored four with a two-run home run of his own. He was 4-5 on the day.

Burlington had an 8 run lead heading into the top of the ninth. Jaxon Ingram was called from the bullpen to finish things up. He struck out Eddie Saucedo, and looked to have pinch hitter Nick Fleckenstein struck out, but the third strike pitch was called a ball. Fleckenstein followed with ground single to second. Ingram then misfired on a slow roller off the bat of Adam Weed. His throw to first sailed into right field for an error. That put runners on second and third.

Ensuing batter Joe Simpson doubled to left sending Fleckenstein and Weed home. Luke Ira was hit by a pitch.  Jeremy Conforti singled to load the bases.

Clinton, with the help of the error, now trailed just 12-6. Rayth Peterson hit a sacrifice fly. It was 12-7 and the home faithful were starting to worry.

Tyler Dahm joined the parade with a single to center, pushing Ira to the across. Conforti scored on a wild pitch to make it 12-9. A visibly frustrated Ingram was finally able to celebrate a win getting Taeg Gollert K2-3 to end it.

Burlington Notre Dame alumni Jeron Conner was credited with the win. He is 1-0 since joining the club.  Kale Orman took the loss. He is 3-2.

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FROM CLINTON:

BURLINGTON, Iowa - On Sunday afternoon, the Clinton LumberKings dropped their second consecutive game, a 12-9 defeat to the Burlington Bees.
 
Both teams traded punches early. The LumberKings jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first. Jeremy Conforti (College of Dupage) drove in two runs with an RBI single. In the bottom half the Bees responded. Joey Fitzgerald (Harper College) drove in two with a single of his own, knotting the game up at two.
 
Clinton broke the tie in the top half of the second. Adam Weed (University of Illinois Chicago) drove in another run for the LumberKings with his own RBI knock.
 
 In the top half of the third, Tyler Dahm (Mount Mercy) added another run for the LumberKings. Dahm drove in one with a single, giving Clinton a 4-2 lead.
 
Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth the Burlington Bees responded. Marcos Sanchez (Texas Wesleyan) hit a two-run home run to give Burlington their first lead of the game at 5-4.
 
In the sixth Oscar Ponce (UT Arlington) added insurance for the Bees. After Burlington added one more to make it 6-4, Ponce hit a two-run homer to make it 8-4.
 
Burlington continued to hit in the bottom of the eighth. Marcos Sanchez hit his second home run of the game, a grand-slam to make it a 12-4 Bees' advantage.
 
In the ninth, the LumberKings made it close. Joe Simpson (Kirkwood CC) drove in two with a double. Later, Rayth Petersen (University of Illinois Chicago) drove in Simpson with a sacrifice fly making it 12-7. Still in the top of the ninth, Tyler Dahm drove in his second run of the game with another RBI single and Jeremy Conforti later scored on a wild pitch. 
 
The offense in the ninth was not enough as the LumberKings dropped the game 12-9.
 
In relief Kale Orman (Mount Mercy)(3-2) picked up the loss for the LumberKings and Jeron Conner (Carl Sandburg College)(1-0) grabbed the win for Burlington.
 
Clinton continues the road trip tomorrow night in Normal, Ill against the CornBelters.
 
First pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.