By:  RJ Larson

The Bees left 10 runners on base, committed two errors and squandered an early 4-1 lead, falling 10-8 to the Clinton LumberKings at Community Field. 

Brett McCleary got the LumberKings on the board with a solo home run to make the score 1-0. Austin Simpson responded in bottom half of the second with an enormous two-run home run to right center.  It was his first of the season, giving Burlington a 2-1 lead. The Bees added two more runs in the fourth on a pair of RBI doubles from Marcos Sanchez and Brady Jurgella to give Burlington the 4-1 lead.

Andrew Long threw five innings for the Bees, allowing 6 hits and 4 runs, 2 of which were earned.  He walked 2 and struck out 4.  He left the game after throwing 93 pitches, with a 4-3 lead. 

A Bees defensive mistake in the fifth to allow Clinton to get back in the game.  Rayth Peterson hit a grounder to Ben Nippolt at short.  Zane Zielinski, at second, dropped his flip for the error.  That loaded the bases. Kyle Lehmann drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Luke Ira scored on a single.  Bees up 4-3.

Clinton struck for five runs in the sixth, capped off by a three run double from Luke Ira and Clinton led 8-4.

Burlington responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth.  Ben Nippolt drew a bases loaded walk for an RBI to make the score 8-5. Burlington added two more in the seventh on a two-run double from Marcos Sanchez.  Bees down 8-7

Another error by Burlington in the ninth allowed a run to score and extended the inning. Clinton tacked on one more to make 10-8.

The Bees added one run in the ninth on solo home run from Jackson Jones, his third of the season, but the Bees still fell 10-8.

The Bees hit the road to take on Normal tomorrow at 6:35 p.m.