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Published On: May 27th, 2015

Brian Drapeau collected 10 strikeouts over five scoreless innings of three-hit baseball as Waterloo defeated Alexandria 15-0 to win the 2015 opener. Every Bucks hitter scored at least one run while the pitching staff struck out 16.

By: Matt Gruemmer, Waterloo Bucks

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. – The Waterloo Bucks opened their twenty-first season of play on the road with a 15-0 victory over Alexandria at Knute Nelson Memorial Park. Long Island University pitcher Brian Drapeau picked up the win as the starter after tossing five innings of shutout baseball that consisted of 10 strikeouts, one walk and just three hits allowed. Zach Jarret tallied five runs-batted-in and homered with teammate Mark Hernandez. Waterloo’s hitters drew 10 base on balls while the pitching staff struck out 16 Blue Anchors and walked just one in the winning effort.

The Bucks got the bats going in the second inning when Alex Boxwell plated Matthew Stemper with an RBI single to first base. The early score gave Waterloo a 1-0 lead.

Jarrett smacked a one-out two-run homer over the wall in deep left-center to drive in Luke Stratman to make it a 3-0 advantage in the top of the third. In the next at-bat, Hernandez crushed his first round-tripper to right-center field to make it a 4-0 ballgame.

A Stratman RBI sacrifice fly to deep centerfield with no outs in the fourth led to a Taylor Boyd run and a 5-0 lead. Joseph Shepherd coaxed a throw to third base on the same play and an errant throw from the centerfielder allowed him to cross the plate.

Waterloo pushed five more runs across in the fifth after Alexandria loaded the bases with walks and walked in Adam McGinnis for a run. Jarret drove in two runs later in the frame with an RBI single to centerfield. Hernandez added two additional runs with a double to the wall in left-center immediately after to stretch the Bucks lead to 11-0.

Brian Drapeau (1-0) exited after five innings of shutout baseball. The right-hander from Long Island University surrendered three hits, struck out 10 and walked one batter during his tenure on the mound.

Nick Veale took over on the rubber in the sixth and struck out six during his three innings of work out of the bullpen.

Mark Hill, Boxwell and Shepherd all walked and scored in the sixth inning as Stratman and Jarrett provided with runs with a double and ground out, respectively. The Bucks took a 14-0 lead into the ninth inning where Boxwell drove in Stemper with an RBI single to centerfield.

Sean Trimble completed the shutout for the Bucks with a perfect ninth inning that retied all three Blue Anchors in the box. The Long Beach State arm secured the 15-0 victory for Waterloo against its Northern League opponent in the Northwoods League.

The Bucks conclude the season-opening series with the Blue Anchors Wednesday evening at 6:35 p.m. from Alexandria.

Tickets are available at waterloobucks.com. You can also visit the Bucks Ticket Office at Riverfront Stadium or call 319-232-5633.

Bucks games are broadcast live on waterloobucks.com

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The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com.