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Mikal Hill (Winston-Salem St.) went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double as the Bucks fell, 7-5.
By: Matt Gruemmer, Waterloo Bucks
WILLMAR, Minn. – The Waterloo Bucks’ (31-40/13-22) two-game winning streak was snapped Saturday night as the Willmar Stingers (46-24/23-13) utilized three home runs in a 7-5 decision at Bill Taunton Stadium. Waterloo stranded the bases loaded in the top of the eighth after scoring two runs to make it a 6-5 contest as Brady Anderson (Florida Gulf Coast) closed the door out of the pen for the Stingers, recording the final out in the eighth and working a scoreless ninth to collect his Northwoods League leading 19th save of the year.
Mikal Hill (Winston-Salem St.) tallied his third home run of the season, a two-run smash to right field in the top of the first, and his team-best 17th double, an RBI-knock in the eighth, to go along with two runs scored in the defeat for Waterloo. Doug Hayes (4-5) (Illinois) took the loss as the starter for the Bucks as he gave up five runs on 10 hits along with one walk and four strikeouts over five innings on the bump.
The Bucks got on the board early, 3-0, in the top of the first when Hill homered in Chris Kelly (DMACC) to right field and Matthew James (Illinois) sent a solo shot, his first home run of the year, over the centerfield wall. Colton Boucher (5-1) (Northern St.) picked up the win for Willmar, going scoreless after the three-run first. The right-hander settled in for three runs on five hits and three strikeouts in his five-inning start.
Willmar responded in the bottom of the first when Storm Wilson (Kentucky) singled and scored. Ky Parrott (James Madison) drove in Wilson to shortstop to cut the deficit to 3-1 heading to the second.
Troy Dixon (Pacific) tied the game, 3-3, with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the third when he homered in Lucas Tancas (Irvine Valley) to deep right-center. Not to be outdone, Parrott recorded his second and third RBIs on a two-run dinger of his own in the fifth, a blast over the right field fence that brought in Reagan Fowler (Creighton) for the Stinger’s first lead, 5-3.
Andrew Davis (Barton) opened the sixth for the Bucks on the mound gave up a run on one hit and two walks. With the score at a 6-3 mark, Davis escaped his lone inning of work with a fly-out to strand two runners on base for Willmar.
Charlie Naso, Jr. (Illinois) toed the hill in the seventh and worked a scoreless framed that featured one hit and a pair of strikeouts before the Bucks’ offense stormed back in the top of the eighth.
With two outs, Kelly kindled a four-hit rally that began with his single into center field. Hill doubled off the wall in right field in the next at-bat to bring in Kelly and make it a 6-4 game.
Next, Taylor Lane (Florida) contributed to the cause with a single that plated Hill while James recorded a base-hit as the following Waterloo batter. Willmar, then, went to all-star closer Anderson to clean up the mess. After loading the bases with a hit-by-pitch to Tim Millard (Dallas Baptist), Anderson struck out Zach Fricke (Iowa) to end the threat.
Matthew Stemper (Minnesota), who played all nine positions for the Bucks defensively throughout the night, opened the bottom of the eighth on the mound and gave up a solo home run to Sean Beasley (Illinois St.) on two pitches as his only batter faced. Lincoln Hochmuth (Augsburg) finished the frame with two strikeouts and a fly-out, but Waterloo failed to rally in the ninth.
The Bucks will play their 2015 season-finale in Willmar against the Stingers with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. (CST).
Tickets are available at waterloobucks.com. You can also visit the Bucks Ticket Office at Riverfront Stadium or call (319)-232-5633.
Bucks’ games are broadcast live on waterloobucks.com.
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The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com.
