Balanced Attack Leads Bees to Opening Night Victory

Burlington, IA - Six different Burlington players registered hits, five scored and three picked up RBI's as the Bees (1-0) slayed the Alton River Dragons (1-1) 8-6 May 29.

Thirteen of the 14 runs were scored in the first five innings, with Nick Meyer (West Des Moines, IA/Mt. Mercy University) and Kinnick Pusteoska (Solon, IA/Tennessee Tech) both picking up a pair of RBI's.

Pusteoska had the most electric swing of the game, hitting a two run home run to the scoreboard in the bottom of the third for the first bomb of the 2024 Bees Season.

Burlington used just three pitchers in the game, with each going exactly three innings. Jackson Wohlers (Davenport, IA/ Rock Valley College) made the start, giving up only one hit and two earned runs.

He was relieved by Joe Evans (Chicago, IL/Morton College), who allowed one earned run in the fourth and went on to throw two straight shutout innings.

Bobby Helt (Willoughby, OH/Lake Erie College) registered an uncanny three inning save, allowing two hits and one earned run total. Helt concluded the game with an aggressive strikeout to cap off an efficient day for the Burlington arms.

The teams exchanged blows throughout the early innings. The Bees trailed 1-0 after the first inning, but a three run rally in the bottom of the second that included two runs scored off plays with errors gave the home team their first lead.

Alton answered quickly, firing off two runs the next inning to tie the game. The bottom of the third saw the Pusteoska homerun and a Carson Bittner walk (Phoenix, AZ/Phoenix College) that scored Cooper Donlin (Plymouth, MI/Hawaii-Pacific) on a passed ball to make the score 6-3. Donlin finished with three runs, the most among both teams.

The River Dragons pulled within one in the top of the fourth, but the Bees continued to answer, sparking a rally in the bottom of the fifth. Meyer picked up his second RBI on a single that scored Donlin after a lengthy at-bat.  Jackson Rooker (Celina, TX/ Tennessee Tech ) capped it off with a sacrifice fly in the next at bat to bring Burlington's run total to eight.. The River Dragons would get one back in the eighth, but the Bees hung on for the 8-6 victory.

Alton falls to 1-1 and will play on the road against the Dubois County Bombers (1-1) May 30 at 6:30 p.m. The Bees begin 1-0 and stay at home, taking on the O'Fallon Hoots (0-2) May 30 at 6:30 p.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Kick Start Summer Night at Community Field.