Thunder Bay (ONT) Fog rolled across Lake Superior and covered the Port Arthur Stadium field but it couldn’t prevent the Waterloo Bucks from picking up their fourth straight win, a 5-2 victory over the Thunder Bay Border Cats on Monday night.
Marcos Calderon had three hits and two RBI while starting pitcher J.T. Miller went seven innings allowing one run, scattering seven hits and striking out five. Reliever Adam Dian picked up the final five outs, four via strikeout and another on a highlight reel defensive play.
The Bucks took a 2-0 lead in the second on Calderon’s two-run RBI single. Waterloo extended the lead with an infield groundout by Kevin Needham that plated a run in the fifth.
Thunder Bay answered with a run in the sixth, but the Bucks built the cushion back up to 4-1 with a run in the eighth. Jake Mahon reached on a fielding error and with two outs, would come around to score when Gerrion Grim’s grounder to third was misplayed.
Thunder Bay had a great chance to get back into the game in bottom of the inning when back to back walks, and a wild pitch put runners and second and third with no outs. An infield ground out cut the lead to 4-2, but Adam Dian would come in to strikeout Dylan Goodwin and Kyle Westhius to end the inning.
Fog, which had been snaking it’s way towards the field all game would blanket the outfield for most of the top of the ninth but the umpires allowed play to continue and ultimately it didn’t play a factor. Calderon led off with a hit to left field that would likely have been a double regardless but he was erased from the bath paths trying to advance on a pop out the next batter.
Still, Waterloo added to the lead with two outs as David Kerian singles, stole second and scored when Needham’s bloop painted the left field line.
Dian worked a 1-2-3 ninth, that included a fantastic play. With one out, Jacob Rogers hit a foul pop down the first base line. Needham was camped under it but the ball popped out of his mitt, only to have Dian dive at his feet and catch the ball with his outstretched glove.
Waterloo has now won four straight and is 6-1 on the road this season.