Fresh off two straight wins to open the season, the Honkers suffered a 14-8 setback to the Waterloo Bucks. A Close game early, the Bucks broke the game open with a nine-run sixth inning. A pair of walks to open the inning set up a big inning for the Bucks, who scored on a Blaine Marchman (Georgia St) hit-by-pitch and two-run throwing error. The Bucks piled on with a run scoring double by Emi Gonzalez (Glendale) and single by Daniel Irisarri. (Nova Southwestern) All told, the Bucks sent 12 hitters to the plate, recording five hits.

Waterloo opened the scoring in the game’s first inning on an error and wild pitch, but Rochester took the lead in the fourth on an Eric Rataczak (Post Grad) two-run double, scoring Marco Castillo (Claremont) and Jordan Stevens. (Kent St) It was Rataczak’s second double in as many nights. The Honker lead did not hold, however, as back-to-back inning opening singles set the stage for a go-ahead three-run home run by Aaron Treloar and the Bucks never looked back. (Glendale)

The Honkers chipped away at the deficit, scoring twice in the sixth on Jordan Stevens and Otto Grimm (Minnesota) singles, and again in the seventh cashing in on a Ryan Thibert (Chico St) double. Rochester mounted a three-run rally in the ninth with the help of four straight walks, but the middle-innings deficit was too steep to overcome.

On the mound Jordan Nelson (Dubuque)  records the win in relief and Brenden Medoro (Fairleigh Dickinson) gets the loss for the Honkers. Evan O’Toole gave the Honkers four-plus innings of 1-earned run ball with six strikeouts in his start.

With the loss, Rochester drops to 2-1 on the young season, awaiting a rematch with the Bucks in Waterloo tomorrow evening.

by Nick DeLuca// Nick is in his first season as a Broadcasting and Media relations intern for the Rochester Honkers.