Waterloo, Iowa – The Bucks (18-12) losing streak increased to five tonight as they fell to the Mankato MoonDogs (23-7) by a final score of 14-3. The guests swept the two-game set in which they outscored the blue and yellow by a total of 25 to 6. Waterloo now sits five games back of the MoonDogs for first place in the North with five games left to play in the first half.
Things were going fine for the hosts through the first five innings of the game. Sean Borman hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second to give the Bucks a 1-0 lead. On the mound, Jordan Foley (4-1) didn’t allow a run or a hit through the first five frames. In the top of the sixth, the wheels fell off as Mankato took the lead and put the game away. They put up a seven spot to take a 7-1 lead. They added another in the next inning to make the score 8-1.
The home team cut the deficit to five, 8-3 in the bottom of the seventh on a two RBI triple by Davis Hendrickson. That would be all for Waterloo as the MoonDogs added one more in the eighth and five in the top of the ninth to make the final, 14-3. Coming into this home stand, the Bucks were a half game back. They now face a much steeper challenge sitting five games back of the North division leaders.
On the hill for Mankato was Adam Mott (2-1) of New Mexico State University. He threw 6.1 innings while giving up three runs, just one earned on three hits while striking out nine Bucks and walking only two. In relief, Trevor Belicek went two and two thirds innings of shutout ball on one hit while striking out three. His ERA is now below one at 0.98.
Foley lasted only those five innings while giving up five runs, four earned on four hits while striking out three MoonDogs and walking five of them. In Relief, Brett Andrzejewski went 3.2 innings and gave up nine runs, only three of which were earned. Nico Zych threw a third of an inning to close out the effort from the pitchers. There was nothing much from the Bucks at the plate as they only tallied four hits, no one with more than one.
Next up, Waterloo travels to Duluth for games on Saturday and Sunday. They then round out the first half of the season with three games on Mankato’s field Monday through Wednesday. First pitch on Saturday is set for 7:05 p.m. Keep coming back to www.waterloobucks.com for all the latest information on the Cedar Valley’s Home Team.