Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Bucks surrendered three runs on no hits to drop their third in a row. Only one of the five Mankato runs was earned on the night.

Box Score

By: Matt Gruemmer, Waterloo Bucks

MANKATO, Minn. – The Waterloo Bucks (13-11) fell, 5-2, to the Mankato MoonDogs (12-11) after surrendering four runs in the final two innings Thursday night at Franklin Rogers Park. Mankato rallied for three runs on no hits and two Waterloo errors in the bottom of the eighth inning to take the regular season-finale. Doug Hayes (0-1) (Illinois) took the loss in his Waterloo debut while surrendering four runs, one earned, on two hits with one walk, one strikeout and one hit batter. Tyler Selesky (Florida Gulf Coast) drove in both of the Bucks’ runs with a single to left-center in the top of the second. The win evened the season series, 4-4, between the two clubs.

Waterloo got on the board early with two runs in the second inning when Tyler Selesky (Florida Gulf Coast) brought in both Zach Soria (Florida International) and Mikal Hill (Winston-Salem St.) on a single to left-center field. Soria walked to start the frame and Hill doubled his way into scoring position before coming across for the 2-0 lead.

Carson McPherson (Murray St. College) left as the Waterloo starter after four innings on the hill. The southpaw gave up one run on three hits along with two strikeouts and two walks in the no-decision.

Mankato cut it to a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the fourth when Mikel Mucha (Wichita St.) singled in Sulliam Rios-Reyes (Kirkwood CC) from third base. Rios-Reyes singled to open the frame and got to third on a two-base error on a pickoff attempt from McPherson.

Hayes (0-1) entered in relief to open the fifth and took the loss after surrendering four runs, one earned, over three innings out of the bullpen. In his debut, Hayes yielded two hits, two hit batsmen, and a walk while striking out one in the losing effort.

The MoonDogs grabbed their only lead of the game with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. After a walk, fielder’s choice bunt and hit batter loaded the bases, two scored when an attempted force-out throw to the plate deflected off Soria’s glove for an error. Then, after a pitching chance, Craig Nennig (Ohio St.) brought in Mucha on a sacrifice fly for the game’s final score, 5-2.

Veale toed the hill in the bottom of the eighth with no outs, two on in scoring position, and the Bucks trailing, 4-2. The right-hander was not charged with a run in his one inning of work while forcing a sacrifice fly and two groundouts.

The Bucks return to Riverfront Stadium Friday to open a four-game home stand with a pair of games against both St. Cloud and Kalamazoo. Friday marks the Bark in the Ballpark promotion! Bring your pooch to the park! Dogs & their owners may purchase tickets at the gate for $10 with $5 of each sale being donated to the Cedar Bend Humane Society in Waterloo. Dogs & their owners are invited to participate in the Parade of Dogs around the warning track 30 minutes before the game! 

The game is also a Flat Screen Friday where fans ages 18 and older can register to win one of three 32" flat screen TVs that will be given away each Friday home game.

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 22^nd 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.