LA CROSSE, Wis — The La Crosse Loggers stormed back on Wednesday night after falling into an early hole, but the home team could not find the big hit it needed, getting tripped up 5-4 in 10 innings against the Waterloo Bucks.
The Bucks (13-11) took a 3-0 lead on a three-run home run by Dylan Phillips in the first inning, and added a run on a fielder’s choice groundout by Alonzo Rubalcaba in the third inning.
Jack Delmore (California) came on in relief of starting pitcher Jack Ferguson (Madonna) and blanked the Bucks over the course of the middle innings, which gave time for the Loggers’ offense to come to life. After Kyson Donahue (Arizona) walked to load the bases in the seventh inning, Hunter Watson (Texas A&M) hammered a ball off the wall in right-centerfield to score three runs and close the Loggers deficit to one run at 4-3.
After Donahue reached via an error in the ninth inning, Watson came to the plate again and tied the game with an RBI single to left. Watson finished 2-for-4 with all four RBI for the Loggers.
The Bucks started the top of the 10th inning with a runner on second base via the new extra innings rule adopted by the Northwoods League this season, and that runner came around to score on a bloop single by Alex Ronnebaum. The Loggers moved their runner to third in the bottom of the 10th via a sacrifice bunt, but could not bring him home.
The Loggers return home to the Lumberyard on Thursday night for the first game of a two-game set vs. the Duluth Huskies.
