Holland Leads Bees Comeback Win

Bees' starter Jacob Zahner had not thrown a pitch in an organized game since a high school playoff tilt last July.  While he might have been a little rusty and struggled a bit, allowing Illinois Valley 4 runs on 8 hits, 2 walks and a hit batter, the SCC sophomore ate up four innings and kept his team in the game. 

That effort paid off for Burlington when after scoring four runs in the 8^th, and with two out in the ninth, left fielder Cedric Dunnwald drew a walk.  Drew Gaskins walked to make it first and second.  Shortstop Connor Laeng fouled off a 3-2 pitch to the first base side.  Shrimp first baseman Emanuel Andujar clunked the routine pop off his glove to extend the at bat.  Laeng took ball four on the next pitch to load the bases.  Illinois pitcher JuJu Thompson uncorked a wild pitch, with Bees third baseman Jaden Hackbarth at the plate.  That scored Dunnwald from third, as the other runners moved up.  Hackbarth then pounded a 3-2 offering to Valley's shortstop Jake Ferguson who threw wild to first.  Gaskins and Laeng scampered home with the tying and winning runs and the Bees had come all the way back to move to 2-0 on the season.

Tanner Holland continued his hot start with a 2 for 4 night, which included a walk and a run scored.  He is now 4 for 8 with 2 walks in Burlington's first two games of the year.

The Bees travel to Illinois Valley for two games Friday and Saturday, then to Quincy for a Sunday single.  They return home for a Tuesday.