Weston Hatten (Washington St.) hit a two-run homerun as the Bucks’ three-game winning streak came to a halt.
By: Matt Gruemmer, Waterloo Bucks
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The Waterloo Bucks (16-13) stumbled in their road trip opener, 11-3, in a losing decision to the Eau Claire Express (12-16) Tuesday night at Carson Park. Weston Hatten (Washington St.) hit his second long ball of the year while Luke Stratman (Lamar CC) collected two hits from the plate in the losing decision. Joe Martinson (Minnesota) was a bright spot on the mound for the Bucks, completing 2 2/3 frames of one-run relief. Despite the 11 runs allowed, the Waterloo pitching staff recorded 13 strikeouts on the night.
Early offensive chances marked the start of the game with Eau Claire pushing four across in the bottom of the third. Joe Gillette (Oregon St.) plated Kyle Marinconz (Cal Poly) with a double off the wall in left field to put the Express in front, 1-0. Then, Brady Burzynski (UW-Stout) hit a base-clearing double to shallow left field to make it a 4-0 advantage.
Carson McPherson (2-2) (Murray St. College) bowed out of the action after 2 2/3 innings as the Waterloo starter. The southpaw surrendered four runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking three in the loss.
Charlie Naso, Jr. (Illinois) took over for the Bucks to end the third and exited after allowing two hits in the fourth. A three-run homerun off the bat of Gillette and a base on balls ended Naso’s night too soon in the frame.
After Gillette made it a 7-0 lead for the Express with one swing of the bat, Martinson entered for Waterloo out of the bullpen with one out in the inning.
Martinson finished the fourth and tossed his way to the sixth inning, giving up one run on two hits along with one walk and three strikeouts.
The Buck got on the board in the top of the seventh when Hatten blasted his second homerun of the year over the left field wall. Taylor Lane (Florida) opened the inning by reaching on an error at third base, and scored on Hatten’s homer to make it an 8-2 deficit.
Mitchel Babb (Ole Miss) tossed a scoreless, hitless inning in relief in the seventh while striking out one in his Northwoods League debut.
Tyler Selesky (Florida Gulf Coast) scored from second base on a pass ball that rolled to the Waterloo dugout in the eighth to bring the game closer, 8-3.
Ryan McCourt (Coffeyville CC) picked up the ball in the bottom of the eighth for the Bucks and suffered a three-run homerun off the bat of Travone Benton (New Mexico JC) in the inning. The right-hander struck out the side in his first appearance for the Bucks on the year.
Waterloo will continue the road tour with the Express at 6:35 p.m. (CT) Wednesday at Carson Park in Eau Claire. Then, the Bucks travel to both Willmar and Thunder Bay for two different two-game series with the Stingers and Border Cats before returning to Waterloo for an off-day on June 29.
The Bucks finish the seven-game stand with a traveling-doubleheader with the Rochester Honkers on June 30. Following game one of the day at 12:05 p.m. at Mayo Field, the two teams will drive to Riverfront Stadium to conclude the twin bill at 7:05 p.m. The two gameswith Rochester marks the first two contests in the SCHEELS Highway 63 Cup.
During the nightcap on June 30, the Bucks will have the Bill’s Pizza & Smokehouse Baseball Card Set Giveaway. The first 1,000 fans through the gate will receive a Bucks Baseball Team Card Set, presented by Bill’s Pizza & Smokehouse.
It will also be a Two For Tuesday promotion! Follow the Bucks on Facebook or their email newsletter for a buy one ticket get one FREE offer for Tuesday home games. One lucky fan will win a pair of Minnesota Twins tickets given away at every Tuesday 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 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.