Pistol Shrimp score 5 in 9th to top Bees

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The Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp exploded for five runs in the top of the ninth inning to pull away for a 13-8 victory over the Burlington Bees on Wednesday in Burlington, Iowa.

Tied at 8 going to the ninth, Zach Lane led off the inning for the Shrimp by reaching on an error.

Jack Johnston walked, and Jared Quandt was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Dio Cornet got the scoring started with an RBI single to center field.

After a fielder’s choice for the first out, Isaiah Hart drew a walk to bring in a run before Cornet, Tucker Bougie and Hart all scored on wild pitches.

The Shrimp and Bees traded runs early in the game with Burlington scoring two in the bottom of the first, both teams scoring two in the second – the Shrimp’s coming on a two-run homer by Bougie – and the Shrimp scoring two in the third to tie the game at 4.

Burlington went up 5-4 with a run in the fourth before the Shrimp scored four runs in the sixth to take an 8-5 lead.

In the sixth, Bougie hit an RBI double to score Cornet, Alton Gyselman reached on a fielder’s choice to plate Bougie, Lane brought in Hart with a sacrifice fly, and Johnson singled home Gyselman.

The Bees scored three in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game before the Shrimp’s big ninth.

Bougie finished 2 for 5 with a home run, a double, three RBIs and three runs, while Cornet was 2 for 5 with two runs and an RBI.

Eben Heine earned the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

The Shrimp (16-11) and Bees (10-16) play again at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Burlington before the series concludes Friday in Peru.