DULUTH, Minn. – The visiting Waterloo Bucks (12-19) scored 5 runs in the final 2 innings, and the Duluth Huskies (15-17) took a crushing 7-6 loss.
Former Husky MJ Sweeney started things off for the Bucks, punishing a two-run first-inning home run to right field against Duluth starter Devin Doyle. Doyle righted the ship in the second and third, retiring 7 consecutive Bucks to keep the score 2-0. Doyle’s recovery allowed the Huskies to kickstart the offense in the bottom of the third. Waylon Walsh led off with a bloop single to left center, and Manny Dorantes dragged a knock to right to follow. George McIntyre, Blake Eckerle, and Dax Hardcastle all reached on consecutive free passes from Waterloo right-hander Nate Berzonski, forcing in two runs to tie the game.
Doyle breezed through the fourth, fifth, and sixth as well, allowing just two baserunners in that time. Berzonski responded with zeroes of his own in the fourth and fifth, before being pulled after 5.0 two-run innings. Eckerle greeted the Waterloo reliever Andrew Wilkinson with a sharp single, and Hardcastle followed with a walk. Anthony Cepeda flung a double to right field to plate Eckerle, putting Duluth ahead for the first time. Ibarra followed with an RBI single, Walsh knocked in another run, and Dorantes pushed a perfect sac bunt down the first base line to take the score to 6-2.
Doyle was chased in the seventh after loading the bases with one out, and Brent Godina saw his number called. Godina fanned Zach Davis for the second out, and Eckerle slung a pickoff throw to third in time to nab Dane Most and escape from the jam. The Bucks drew two walks against Godina in the eighth, and the righthander threw a wild pitch to allow Mycah Jordan to score. Godina was pulled, but Sweeney swatted a sacrifice fly off of new reliever Jude Sundquist to cut the Husky lead to two runs.
Duluth couldn’t add in the eighth, and Waterloo flashed their antlers in the ninth inning. A single and two hit-by-pitches loaded the sacks against Sundquist, and Devin Costa saw his number called. Mycah Jordan drove in a run with a fielder’s choice, and Colin Coonradt recorded the biggest hit of the game, driving in a pair of runs with a single back up the box. The two RBI gave the Bucks a 7-6 lead. Eckerle singled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but it was for naught as Hardcastle was rung up on a contentious third strike call.
Eckerle went 2-for-3 with two walks, a run, and an RBI. Behind the plate, he caught a runner stealing and picked a man off. Hardcastle went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks, a run scored, and a ribbie. Walsh had a 2-for-3 day, scoring once and driving in one. Dorantes drove in one with two singles in three tries.
Doyle was masterful outside of the Sweeney homer, finishing 6.1 innings while allowing just two runs on five hits, walking none and fanning three. Godina allowed two runs in 1.0 innings. Sundquist took the loss while allowing a trio of tallies in 0.2 innings. Costa recorded the final three outs.
On Deck
The Huskies wrap up their series with Waterloo tomorrow at 3:05 p.m., before concluding the first half on the road at Thunder Bay on Sunday and Monday.