Waterloo wraps up a five-game homestand on Friday in the series finale vs. the Mankato Moondogs
Box Score: http://northwoods.bbstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=316888
By: Jared Shlensky
Waterloo, Iowa – A three-hit evening from Robert Neustrom, a three-run fourth inning and 4 2/3 scoreless innings from the Waterloo bullpen paced the Bucks to a 4-3 win over the Mankato Moondogs in the series opener from Riverfront Stadium on Thursday. After Steven Baker and Ricky Digrugilliers exchanged zeroes through the first three innings, Waterloo went up 3-0 with three runs on five hits in the bottom of the fourth.
Tyler Curtis recorded the second hit of the day off Digrugilliers with a single through the left side to start the inning. With Curtis on the move, Lane Milligan placed a single into shallow-left center, giving Waterloo runners on the corners. Adam McGinnis then extended his season-high on-base streak to 13 games with an RBI single to left, bringing in Curtis for the first run of the game. Neustrom doubled the Bucks’ lead with an RBI double to right-center, scoring Milligan. After Jake Hand grounded out for the second out of the inning, Brody Weiss scored McGinnis for the final run of the frame with an RBI infield single.
Mankato (19-12) quickly evened the score at 3-3 with three runs in the top of the fifth. Bryce Adams reached on a Waterloo fielding error before Jordan Kozicky and Jake Roberts drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. With the bases loaded, Alvaro Rubalcaba drew the third consecutive walk of the inning, cutting the Waterloo deficit to two. David Metzger made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly to deep left field, bringing in Kozicky. Jake Shepski followed Metzger with an RBI single to center, bringing Roberts around to score the tying run from second.
Waterloo (20-10) regained the lead with an unearned run in the fifth. Curtis recorded his second of two hits on the day with a single into right. Milligan and Curtis then perfected the hit-and-run for the second time as Milligan poked a single into center with Curtis on the move. After McGinnis drew a walk to load the bases, a Mankato fielding error allowed Curtis to score from third, putting Waterloo back in front, 4-3.
Bryce Reichmann, Nate Spielvogel, Hunter Spencer and Derek Hendrixson combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen in the win. Reichmann (2-0) faced just three hitters in the win, retiring two of the three.
Spielvogel (3) and Spencer (3) each recorded holds in the win. Both Spielvogel and Spencer each threw one scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Derek Hendrixson (2) recorded the six-out save to secure the win. Hendrixson retired six of the seven hitters he faced, five via the strikeout. Hendrixon’s two scoreless innings also extended his scoreless innings streak to a personal-best 10 2/3.
Digrugilliers (3-2) suffered the loss. The right-hander allowed a season-high four runs on eight hits over five innings, striking out four and walking two.
Waterloo concludes its five-game homestand on Friday vs. Mankato. Friday’s game is Angry Birds Night, a Flat Screen Friday and a Post-game Extravaganza. The first 500 fans to tomorrow’s game receive a free Angry Birds T-Shirt. Fans age 18 and older can register to win one of three flat screen TVs, courtesy of Kaplan University.
First pitch in the series finale vs. Mankato is at 7:05 p.m. RHP Jared Crescentini (3-0, 2.88) takes the ball for Waterloo while the Moondogs send RHP Reece Eddins (1-1, 4.50) to the hill.
All Waterloo Bucks games can be heard online at waterloobucks.com with Jared Shlensky.