CLINTON, Iowa – The Clinton LumberKings showcased a dominant offensive performance, defeating the Burlington Bees 11-4.
Clinton native and LumberKings' pitcher, Brenden Martin, earned his first win in his first start of the 2024 season. Aiding in his win were impressive offensive performances from Will Stark and RJ Ruais to aid in the win.
The LumberKings wasted no time, taking the lead in the first inning when Cougar Cooke singled to right field, driving in Will Stark. Karson Grout then followed with a two-RBI single, bringing in Clay Jacobs and RJ Ruais, giving Clinton a quick 3-0 lead.
In the third inning, RJ Ruais hit a solo home run to center field, extending the lead to 4-0. Noah Thein added to the tally with a sacrifice fly that brought in Jacobs, making it 5-0.
The LumberKings continued their offensive onslaught in the fourth inning with Ruais doubling to right field, driving in Stark and making it 6-0.
The Burlington Bees got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning when Landon Akers singled to left field, scoring Carson Bittner.
However, Clinton responded strongly in the sixth inning with a four-run burst. Cooke doubled to center field, driving in Blake Timmons and Stark.
An error by the pitcher allowed Cooke to score, and Thein hit another sacrifice fly to bring in Jacobs, pushing the lead to 10-1.
Burlington added three more runs in the seventh inning. Akers grounded out to second base, scoring Bittner, and Cooper Donlin tripled to right field, driving in Merrick Mathews and Reese Moore, cutting the lead to 10-4. Clinton capped off their scoring in the ninth inning with a sacrifice fly from Cooke, scoring Thein and sealing the 11-4 victory.
Clinton's offense was led by Will Stark, who went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, and RJ Ruais, who went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and three runs scored. Cooke contributed four RBIs, while Grout added two. On the mound, Brenden Martin earned the win, pitching five strong innings, allowing one run on four hits, with four strikeouts. The bullpen, including Hayden Vickroy, Cade Turner, and Carson Knebel, combined to secure the lead despite some scoring by the Bees.
Burlington's offense was highlighted by Akers and Donlin, who each drove in two runs. However, their pitching struggled to contain Clinton's powerful lineup. Vinny Mauro took the loss, giving up three runs in the first inning. Joe Evans, Erik Kiewiet, Jimmy McCarthy, and Michael Schaul also saw time on the mound but were unable to stop the LumberKings' offensive surge. Despite a few bright spots, the Bees were unable to mount a significant comeback, falling to the LumberKings in a decisive defeat.
The LumberKings will play as the Clinton Elotes on Sunday, June 16 at NelsonCorp Field as the Bees come in for a Father's Day matchup. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. Catch all the action on PLTV or 100.3 WCCI-FM
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