Eau Claire, WI – On a night that looked as if it might rain, the Express could have used some late-inning relief from Mother Nature, as they lost to the Bucks 9-16.
Waterloo was in the driver’s seat through the first 5 innings, taking an early 4-0 lead on Eau Claire. Things started to click for the Express in the bottom of the 6th inning, though, as they scored a quick 5 runs, seemingly out of nowhere.
Reed Latimer (UAB) sparked the fire with an RBI single in this inning, bringing home baserunner Cort MacDonald (Stanford). Then, with bases loaded, Cole Conn (UIC) stepped up to the plate. The catcher Conn blasted a towering triple in the gap between the center and right fielders. This cleared the bases and tied the two teams at 4. Ryan Nagelbach (UIC) made it 5 with a single of his own, which scored Conn from 3rd.
The Express kept the scoring going in the following inning on a 2-RBI Dylan O’Connell (Central Arizona) double. Two more Men in Orange came across home this inning on separate Sac Flies.
As the thunder rumbled off in the distance, it looked like the Express had things all wrapped up, owning a 9-7 lead heading into the 9th. The weather that looked as though it may end the game early never came though.
Instead, the thunder was felt off the bats of the visiting Waterloo Bucks, as they poured on an astounding 9 runs in the top of the 9th inning. This deficit was too much for Eau Claire to overcome, as they failed to put a dent in the now blowout game, losing 9-16.
The Express will get another shot at the Bucks tomorrow in a game at Carson Park. First Pitch will come at 6:35 pm CT, and the there will be a free T-shirt giveaway, presented by Tiki Time. Come out to the park to see these two great teams in action for one final contest of the series!
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The Eau Claire Express are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 30th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 24 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, over 325 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.eauclaireexpress.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Express as your favorite team.
