Waterloo dropped their second consecutive game to the Rox to open the second half of the year.
By: Matt Gruemmer, Waterloo Bucks
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Allowing four runs in the fourth inning, the Waterloo Bucks (18-20/0-2) were sent home with an 8-4 loss against the St. Cloud Rox (21-15/2-0) Thursday night at Joe Faber field. Again, defensive miscues and situational hitting hurt the Bucks, recording three errors and leaving nine men on the base paths in their second straight loss to open the second half.
Adam McGinnis (Western Illinois) scored two runs and tallied a double to pace the offense while Luke Stratman (Lamar CC) and Taylor Boyd (St. Joseph’s) each collected two singles. Tyler Day (2-2) (Stephen F. Austin) was charged with the loss on the mound after he allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits while walking one, hitting two batters and striking out four over the span of 5 1/3 frames. Eight of St. Cloud’s 14 runs in the two-game series were unearned.
For the second game in a row, the Bucks went ahead 1-0 in the second frame. Adam McGinnis reached base on a ground ball error at second base and scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the inning.
St. Cloud responded quickly in the bottom of the second to tie the game, 1-1, when Joe Tietjen (UNC-Asheville) scored on a two-out error at the second base bag.
The Rox added four runs in the bottom of the fourth on four hits to go up, 5-1. Austin Athmann (Minnesota) was the catalyst, being hit with a pitch to lead-off the inning. Two doubles and two singles in the following at-bats gave St. Cloud a four-run advantage heading to the fifth.
Waterloo added middle-inning runs to bring the game to within one run with one in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Mikal Hill (Winston-Salem St.) opened the fifth frame with a walk and later scored on Taylor Lane’s (Florida) sacrifice fly to shallow right field.
Luke Stratman provided the run-scoring single with two outs in the top of the sixth to make it a 5-4 game. Stratman drove in Tyler Selesky (Florida Gulf Coast) and McGinnis with a bases-loaded single to short centerfield to bring Waterloo within one.
Nathan Spielvogel (Marrimack) entered in relief for the Bucks with one out and men on before inducing a 4-3 double play to get out of the frame. The right-hander surrendered three runs, one earned, on six hits along with no walks or strikeouts over 2 2/3 inning pitched.
The deficit would be short-lived, though, with two runs coming across in the bottom of the seventh for the Rox. Back-to-back errors at shortstop allowed Brett Pope (Western Carolina) and Connor Crane (McNeese St.) to score two unearned runs and increase the lead, 7-4.
St. Cloud tallied one more insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Webb Bobo (SE Louisiana) singled in Brandon Benson (Georgia College) for the game’s final run. Brian Glowicki (Minnesota) got the save for the Rox, shutting down the Bucks’ bats for just one hit over the final 3 1/3 frames.
The Bucks close the two-game series with the Rox Friday at 7:05 p.m. (CT) from Joe Faber Field. Waterloo returns home Friday, July 3rd, to open a four-game home stand featuring two games with both the Battle Creek Bombers and Willmar Stingers.
Friday’s contest with Battle Creek marks a Flat Screen Friday where fans ages 18 and older can register to win one of three 32" flat screen TVs. It will also be a FIREWORKS Extravaganza night with post-game fireworks following the Bucks’ contest with Battle Creek.
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.