The Bucks were held to just four hits in an 8-0 loss to Duluth at Riverfront Stadium.

Box Score

By: Matt Gruemmer, Waterloo Bucks

WATERLOO, Iowa – The Waterloo Bucks (28-25/10-7) saw their four-game win streak snap in an 8-0 drubbing to the Duluth Huskies (30-23/10-7) Saturday night at Riverfront Stadium. Led by starter Eric Morell (LaGrange), Duluth’s pitching staff shut down Waterloo’s offense over nine innings of scoreless ball, yielding just four hits to back up their 18 posted in the box.

Tyler Selesky (Florida Gulf Coast) and Zach Soria (Florida International) were the only Bucks’ hitters to figure out the Huskies’ hurlers, collecting two hits each in the loss. Tyler Day (2-4) (Stephen F. Austin) picked up the losing decision after allowing two runs on 10 hits in his 10^th start on the year. The fall marked the fifth shutout of the Bucks this season while also giving Duluth its third win over Waterloo at Riverfront in 2015.

Justin Paulsen (Missouri St.) broke the ice in the top of the second, giving Duluth a 1-0 lead with a solo home run over the right field wall on the first pitch he viewed.

Duluth made it a 2-0 score in the top of the sixth when Alex Greene (West Florida) plated his fellow collegiate teammate Jean Figueroa (West Florida) with a bases-loaded single to the second base bag.

After escaping the sixth with the bases filled, Day ended his start for the Bucks. The right-hander ate up six quality innings where he allowed two runs on 10 base-hits to go along with two walks and four strikeouts.

Bryan Polowy (North Central) toed the hill in the seventh and gave up a two-out, three-run long ball to Nick Valaika (UCLA). In his lone inning of work, Polowy yielded three runs on three hits to exit with the Bucks trailing, 5-0.

Nick Newman (St. Cloud St.) made his Northwoods League debut for the Bucks’ pitching staff to open the eighth. The reliever labored through a three-run frame that featured two hits from mid-season all-stars Cal Stevenson (Nevada) and Dominic Miroglio (San Francisco). The two hitters pushed it to an 8-0 deficit into the bottom of the eighth where the Bucks, again, struggled to collect offense.

In his first appearance of the second half, Joe Martinson (Minnesota) battled through a scoreless frame that saw the bases left loaded by the Huskies. Martinson surrendered three consecutive hits with one out before maintaining the score into the bottom of the ninth. Waterloo’s offense could not muster a comeback, giving Duluth the season-series lead at 4-3.

Waterloo concludes the home stand Sunday afternoon at 3:35 p.m. (CST) against Duluth before the All-Star break. Both the North and South Divisions of the Northwoods League will meet on Tuesday, July 21, at Witter Field in Wisconsin Rapids for the 2015 All-Star Game at 7:05 p.m. (CST).

Sunday marks another Kids Eat FREE game where kids ages 12 & under get a coupon for a hot dog, small popcorn, & small fountain soda! Also enjoy Make It Up Face Painting and Darrel the Balloon Man during the 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.