By Nick Winstead

Waterloo, Iowa—After a rough night against the Bucks that saw the Bombers commit six errors in the span of three innings the Bombers went back at it Sunday afternoon in Waterloo at Riverfront Park.

Luke Heller (Cornerstone) got the start for the Bombers, his last start earned him Northwoods Pitcher of the Night and he looked to continue his success in just his second start with the Bombers.

The Bombers started off the game quick offensively with a 1-0 lead after Anthony Cheky (Michigan State) got a leadoff hit and used his speed to steal 2B and 3B. Colby Bortles (Ole Miss) drove him in with an RBI single through the left side to get the Bombers on the board first.

The Bucks put themselves in position to get some runs for themselves but came up empty, leaving the bases loaded in both the first and second innings.

The Bombers did not come up empty in the third, however. The Bombers erupted for seven runs in the top of the third making it an 8-0 game. The inning was punctuated by two Brandon Van Horn (Dallas Baptist) extra base hits. The first was a double down the left field line that started off the inning and the second a bases clearing two RBI triple that capped off the seven run top of the third.

“It was nice to bat around, see everyone swing it well and give Luke the run support that he deserved with the way he pitched today” said Van Horn following the game.

It was easy cruising for the Bombers as Luke Heller was in control into the sixth inning, but his pitch count got the better of him as some fatigue began to show as a run came across forcing him from the game. Matt Temrowski (Albion College) came in to the game and finished out the sixth with the score at 8-1.

The Bucks were not about to go away that easily, however. The Bucks were able to plate two runs in the seventh, making it a 8-3 ballgame.

The Bombers took advantage of a few Bucks missteps in the top of the eighth and scored what would become a vital ninth run when Jackson Goplen (St. Cloud State) was hit by a pitch and scored after two wild pitches.

The bottom half of the eighth was when the Bucks bats started rolling. They scored five runs by stringing together hits with the help of three Bombers errors to make it a one run game, 9-8.

The Bombers were able to hold on to win it, however, as Hunter Jobe (Pfeiffer) and Joe Mockbee (Michigan State) worked together in the ninth to shut out the Bucks in the final frame.

The Bombers will take on the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters tomorrow on the road, 8:05 Eastern Time first pitch.