Bees Miss Chances in Loss to LumberKings

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Bees Miss Chances in Loss to LumberKings
05/26/2007 10:48 PM ET
By Randy Wehofer / Burlington Bees

Burlington, IA (May 26, 2007) - The Burlington Bees (19-27) left eight men on base and struck out five times with men in scoring position tonight in a 3-2 loss to the Clinton LumberKings (29-17) at Community Field tonight. The LumberKings take a 2-0 lead in this series and the Bees finish this ten-game home stand at 4-6.
Clinton starter Kasey Kiker, the Texas Rangers' first-round draft pick last year, pitched five shutout innings and struck out eight to earn his first professional win tonight. The defining moment of the game for Kiker (1-0) and the Bees came in the bottom of the third inning. The LumberKings were already leading 3-0. Kiker hit Jase Turner with a pitch to lead off the inning, walked O.D. Gonzalez, and Derrick Robinson singled to load the bases with no outs, but Kiker struck out Chris McConnell, Joe Dickerson, and Michael Thompson in get out of the jam and preserve the shutout.
Bees' starter Ryan DiPietro worked five innings last night and gave up all three runs in the top of the second inning. With one out, he walked K.C. Herren, Mauro Gomez singled, and a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. Jay Haefner then doubled over the head of Gonzalez in right to bring in Herren for the first run while Gomez stopped at third. After a popout, Marcus Lemon hit a high slow-chopper towards shortstop. McConnell came charging in, but let the ball go under his glove in left field as both runners scored. Lemon was credited with a single and one RBI and McConnell was charged with an error allowing the second run to score. DiPietro (1-2) got the next batter to ground out to end the inning making the final run unearned. Chris Hayes followed DiPietro to the mound in the sixth and allowed just one hit over three shutout innings. Henry Barrera made his Bees' debut with a perfect ninth inning with some help on a great diving catch by Gonzalez in foul territory in right field for the second out.
Tim Gudex followed Kiker to the mound in the sixth inning and allowed two hits in three scoreless innings while striking out two. The Bees had one final chance in the bottom of the ninth against Jon Hollis on for the save. With one out, Hollis walked Brady Everett and then Turner belted a 2-0 pitch over the wall in right for a two-run homer that got the Bees to within one. It was Turner's home run since April 22nd and his third of the season. Hollis recovered quickly after the home run and struck out both Gonzalez and Robinson looking to end the game and earn his second save.
The Bees and LumberKings continue this series tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 at Alliant Energy Field in Clinton. LH Everett Teaford (1-4, 5.56) will start for the Bees against RH Omar Poveda (4-1, 2.26) for the LumberKings. The game will be broadcast live on KBUR AM 1490 and KBKB AM 1360 with the pre-game show starting at 1:40.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.