Posted: Jul 10, 2022
Big Ninth Inning Not Enough For Clinton In Burlington
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.