Catfish sting Bees with BIG inning in 8-7 win

Cape Catfish hitter Grayson Taylor adjusts his batting gloves earlier this season in a game at Capaha Field. Taylor had one hit, one run, and drove in a run in Sunday's win over Burlington.

Southeast Missourian file

Burlington tallied 10 hits and scored a total of seven runs spread out over four innings in Sunday’s game against the Cape Catfish at Capaha Field.

Good for the Bees.

That’s because the Catfish stung Burlington with seven hits and eight runs in the sixth inning alone, as Cape (16-11) won for the fourth consecutive game.

The Catfish are now just ˝ game out of first place in the West-Prairie Land Division behind O’Fallon (16-10).

The Bees (13-14) took off to a 6-0 start, as they scored runs in the third (one), fifth (two), and sixth innings (three). However, Cape opened its half of the sixth inning with a lead-off walk drawn by Andrew Stone, which was followed by another walk taken by Diego Johnson.

Ellison Hanna II reached on a single, which scored Stone for a 6-1 margin, while Diego Johnson came home for a 6-2 score on an RBI single by Kolten Poorman.

Poorman was thrown out trying to steal, but Hanna II trimmed the Catfish deficit to 6-3 on an RBI single by Cameron Rountree.

Rountree advanced to second base on a wild pitch, while Seth Johnson reached on a single and brought home Rountree for a 6-4 score.

Jackson Campbell singled to move Seth Johnson to second, who later scored on a single by Grayson Taylor to make the margin 6-5.

Stone hit for the second time in the inning and drew yet another walk, which advanced Taylor to second base and Campbell to third. Each scored for an 8-6 score on a three-RBI double by Diego Johnson.

Austin Brock and Kory Bunselmeyer worked the final 3 2/3 innings on the mound for Cape and limited Burlington to two hits, one earned run, while walking two and striking out six.

Brock (2-1) got the victory, while Bunselmeyer earned his second save.

Poorman (one RBI) and Campbell (one run) each notched a couple of connections for the Catfish, while Stone (two runs, three walks), Diego Johnson (one run, one walk, three RBI), Hanna II (one run, one RBI), DJ Wright, Rountree (one run, one RBI), Seth Johnson (one run, one RBI), and Taylor (one run, one RBI) each had a hit in the win.

Ryan Vogt started the game for the Catfish on the mound and threw 4 2/3 innings in taking a no-decision.

He allowed six hits, two earned runs, and walking three.

Cape will battle for first place in the division on Tuesday at O’Fallon with a double header with 5:05 p.m. start, followed by a 6:35 p.m. nightcap.