By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
Owen Oreskovich has managed the Burlington Bees in the Prospect League long enough to know that, when the final weeks of the season arrive and roster comings and goings begin, there had better be a plan in place to survive the changes.
Lane Spieker was part of that plan.
Spieker, in just his second game with the Bees, had two hits and drove in four runs in the 13-3 win over the Quincy Doggy Paddlers on Wednesday night at Community Field.
The Bees (21-21 overall, 10-7 second half), who have won four consecutive games, stayed 2 ½ games behind Clinton for the second-half playoff spot in the Northwest Division.
Spieker just finished his junior season at Mount Mercy, where Oreskovich is an assistant coach, and he was one of the three Mustangs Oreskovich wanted for the final days if the Bees were going to make a playoff push, joining outfielder Kade Knock and first baseman Christian Graves.
“It’s huge to get guys like that,” Oreskovich said. “It gets some guys off their feet and gets them some rest. It’s a blessing for us.”
“It’s been super fun,” Spieker said. “Especially getting here right now, being with a bunch of guys that I didn’t know before, and really getting to know them and already having fun with them, being with Coach O and some of my teammates from Mount Mercy, and the people of Burlington really welcomed me. It’s been really fun.”
Spieker hit .313 with 14 home runs and 49 runs batted in for Mount Mercy this season, so Oreskovich knew that plugging him into the lineup in the fifth spot was the right fit.
Spieker had a sacrifice fly in the first inning, drove in two runs with a third-inning triple, then had an RBI single in the sixth.
“It’s nice to see him hitting like that right away,” Oreskovich said.
“It’s just being loose and finding my swing again, and luckily it’s been coming pretty easy so far,” Spieker said. “So yeah, just keeping it all sweet and simple, and just being me.”
Spieker had a lot of traffic in front of him all night.
• Leadoff hitter Jace Figuereo singled twice and walked once.
• Juan Fernandez, hitting in the second spot, walked twice and was hit by a pitch, and scored three runs.
• Graves, hitting third, singled and walked.
• Adam Kudronowicz, hitting fourth, singled, reached on an error, hit a two-run home run in the fourth, and walked in the sixth.
“Fig, he’s always working at bats,” Spieker said. “He’s doing really well. Juan’s really good too. When people in front of me are smashing the ball, that makes my job a lot easier too, because that means they’ve got to come at me, and I’m just going to do my job.”
Fernandez extended his hitting streak to 17 games. He is batting .371 for the season, and .444 in the streak.
“He’s just an incredible baseball player,” Oreskovich said. “He’s simple in everything he does with his approach, and sees the ball well. He’s seeing it well right now, obviously. He’s getting good swings off on pitches. When he does get the two strikes, he’s a tough out. So putting it in play is what he’s doing so well right now.”
Talon Jennings (1-2) was the winning pitcher. Kyle Smith (1-3) was the losing pitcher.
Top photo: Lane Spieker slides into third on his third-inning triple. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)
