Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp fall just short of playoff berth

Entering the final week of the Prospect League regular season, the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp and Burlington Bees were neck and neck for the Northwest Division second-half title and playoff berth.

The teams were scheduled to play each other in a crucial doubleheader Wednesday in Iowa, but it was canceled because of inclement weather.

That left the Shrimp trailing the Bees by half a game entering the final day of the regular season Thursday, meaning Illinois Valley had to beat the Clinton LumberKings and Burlington had to lose to the Quincy Doggy Paddlers for the Shrimp to earn a playoff berth.

Neither thing happened.

The Bees defeated the Doggy Paddlers 12-2, while the Shrimp lost to the LumberKings 7-4, leaving the defending league champions out of the playoffs.

Illinois Valley fell behind 3-0 after giving up three runs in the top of the fifth inning, but the Shrimp responded with two of their own in the bottom of the frame.

The LumberKings, who won the Northwest Division in the first half, scored two runs in the sixth and tacked on two more in the eighth.

The Shrimp, meanwhile, could muster only single tallies in the sixth and eighth innings.

Tino Bethancourt went 2 for 2 and launched a solo home run in the sixth. Tyler Dorsch had the Shrimp’s only other hit and drove in a run, while Kyle Gibson and Pambos Nicoloudes had an RBI each.

Lucas Smith, D’Andre Gaines, Colin Horneman and Bethancourt each scored a run for the Shrimp.

Starter Bryce Loeger suffered the loss, allowing three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and one walk in five innings.

The Pistol Shrimp finished the second half 20-9 and won seven of their final 10 games. The Bees won the second half with a 21-7 mark, including a 9-1 record in their last 10 games.

Illinois Valley went 31-23 overall.

The Prospect League playoffs begin Friday with the divisional championship games pitting the first-half winner against the second-half winner.

The conference title games are Sunday with the best-of-three championship series Aug. 5-8.

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“Players Cross” stands on the field after a 4-7 loss at the end of the 2025 season on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at Schweickert Stadium in Peru. (MaKade Rios for Shaw Media)