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St. Cloud (MN) Pierce Belaustegui’s two-out, bases loaded, single plated two runs and turned a deficit into a win as the Waterloo Bucks defeated the St. Cloud Rox 6-4 at Joe Faber Field Sunday afternoon. Trailing by as many as three-runs twice, the Bucks scored the game’s final five runs to pull off the comeback win and improve to 3-2 on the season.
Grant Borne earned the win in relief, firing 3.2 innings of scoreless relief while striking out six of the12 batters he faced.
Trailing 4-1 after five innings, the Bucks scored two runs in the top of the sixth off St. Cloud reliever Jordan Talbot. Eric Stout and Belaustegui were hit by pitches and Tyler Peyton singled to load the bases.
A fielder’s choice by Gerrion Grim and groundout from Jory Koehler knocked in the runs.
Still, the Bucks’ trailed by one heading the ninth and faced the formitable task of trying to comeback against St. Cloud closer Adam Maxon who returns for his second season.
Marcos Calderon led off with a single to right field and Pat MacKenzie followed with a bunt single up the first base line.
Connor McClain then came up and lined a ball to left center that was caught for the first out, but Blake Hickman would follow with a walk to load the bases.
Maxon would bare down to strikeout Stout setting up the Belaustegui at bat. After falling behind in the count 0-1, Belaustegui lifted a ball to shallow center that landed just out of the diving attempt of centerfielder Tim Colwell, scoring Calderon and MacKenzie to put Waterloo in front 5-4.
Hickman went to third on the single and scored later in the inning on an errant throw from catcher Carlos Leal who was attempting to throwout Belaustegui trying to take second.
St. Cloud would put two runners on base in the bottom of the inning but Waterloo’s Adam Dian closed the door and secured the victory.
The Bucks fell behind 3-0 after two innings as the Rox scored a run in the first on an Adam Martin single and then two more in the second on a wild pitch and passed ball.
Waterloo broke the shutout against St. Cloud starter Kyle Murray in the fifth on a McClain sacrifice flyout, but the Rox got that run back in their half of the fifth with a Conor Kinery RBI single to build the lead back to 4-1.
Peyton made his pitching debut for the Bucks, throwing the first 5.1 inning, allowing four runs on six hits. He also doubled as a designated hitter and went 1/3 with two walks and a RBI.
