Waterloo closes out the 2016 season .500 after falling to St. Cloud, 3-2, in 10 innings

Box Score: http://northwoods.bbstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=317258

By: Jared Shlensky

WATERLOO, Iowa – Trailing 2-0 after seven innings, Waterloo fought back to tie game with two runs in the eighth before falling to the St. Cloud Rox, 3-2, in 10 innings.  Alex Boxwell closed out the 2016 season with a 12-game hitting streak after doubling in the sixth while Adam McGinnis finished the year with 62 RBIs, a franchise record for most RBIs in a single season.

St. Cloud (24-12, 48-23) secured the win with a run in the top of the 10th. Marcus Carson drew a walk to begin the inning before advancing to second on a balk. Carson then moved to third on a wild pitch before Michael Stream delivered a two-out RBI single to left, scoring Carson from third for the game-winning run.

St. Cloud jumped in front with a two-out run in the first. Carson doubled off the base of the right field fence on the second pitch of the game before Mason Mamarella brought Carson home with a two-out RBI single to right.

Denis Karas doubled the Rox’ lead to 2-0 with a solo homer to left-center to begin the second. The home run was Karas’ team-high fifth of the season and gave him his second RBI of the series.  

After failing to have a single base-runner reach third in the first seven innings, Waterloo (14-22, 36-36) tied the game at 2-2 with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Iowa native Kyle Crowl reached on a St. Cloud fielding error to start the inning before Alex Boxwell singled to left. Zach Weatherford advanced both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt before Lane Milligan brought in Crowl with an RBI groundout to second. McGinnis then tied the game with a two-out RBI double to right, scoring Boxwell from third.

Chris Martin (7-0) recorded the win with two scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits while striking out one. Trevor Patterson (0-2) was charged with the loss. Patterson yielded one run on one hit and a walk in 1 1/3 innings.

Derek Hendrixson, who was named to the Northwoods League Postseason All-Star team earlier on Sunday, recorded a no-decision in his first start of the year. Hendrixson allowed two runs over a season-high six innings, yielding four hits and a walk while striking out seven.

Carlo Graffeo was just as good in a no-decision for the Rox. Graffeo retired 16 of the first 18 hitters he faced and allowed two unearned runs on seven hits in a season-eight innings.

Following Sunday’s loss, Waterloo finishes the season .500 at 36-36, their first .500 season since 2014. To purchase season-tickets for the 2017 season, call the Bucks Ticket Line at (319) 232-5633 or visit the Bucks online at waterloobucks.com.