The Bucks conclude their three-game homestand on Monday in the final game of the year vs. Rochester.
Box Score: http://northwoods.bbstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=369475
By: Jared Shlensky
WATERLOO, Iowa – A five-run fifth inning and three hits apiece from Lane Milligan, Zach Weatherford and Robert Neustrom carried Waterloo to an 8-3 win over the Mankato Moondogs in the four-game series finale. Sunday’s win snapped the Bucks’ three-game losing streak and ended Mankato’s four-game winning streak.
After scoring their only run in last night’s game in the ninth, Waterloo got out in front early with a run in the bottom of the first. Weatherford started the inning with a double down the left field line. Milligan was then hit in the hit with a breaking ball before Tyler Curtis advanced both Weatherford and Milligan with a groundout to first. Adam McGinnis put the Bucks in front 1-0 with an RBI single to left-center.
Waterloo (7-9, 29-22) doubled their lead with another run in the second. Kyle Crowl drew a five-pitch walk in his first at-bat of the year to begin the frame before Weatherford recorded his second hit of the day with a bloop single to right. Milligan filled the bases with a bunt single to second before Curtis drew a bases-loaded walk, bringing in Crowl from third to put the Bucks up 2-0.
The Bucks increased their lead to seven with five runs in the fifth. Curtis led off the inning with a walk before McGinnis reached on an infield single. Two batters later, Neustrom reached on the second infield single of the inning, loading the bases for Brody Weiss. Weiss put the Bucks up by three with an RBI single to right-center before Alex Boxwell followed with an RBI single of his own. Weatherford extended the Bucks’ lead to 5-0 with an RBI single before Miligan gave Waterloo a 7-0 advantage with a two-out, two-run single to left-center.
Mankato (10-6, 32-19) scored all three of its runs in the sixth. A Jake Shepski walk followed by a Chase Hamilton double gave the Moondogs a pair of runners in scoring position before Marcus Pingleton drew a walk to load the bases. Gavin Wehby trimmed the Waterloo lead to 7-2 with a two-run single off the top of the right-center fence. A balk by Trevor Patterson scored Pingleton from third for the final run of the inning.
Waterloo added another run in the eighth to go in front of Mankato, 8-3. Neustrom singled for the third time on the day with two outs before Weiss drove in his second run of the game with a two-out RBI double to right-center.
Jared Crescentini (5-1) allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings in the win. The right-hander retired eight in a row at one point and yielded six hits and three walks while striking out seven.Derek Hendrixson (3) secured the win with the eight-out save. Hendrixson retired eight batters he faced in relief, four via the strikeout.
Dalton Lehnen (0-2) was charged with the loss. The southpaw allowed a season-high six runs on nine hits, striking out three and walking five.
The Bucks conclude their three-game homestand on Monday night vs. Rochester. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. with RHP Jonathan Buckley (1-0, 0.54) making his first start for Waterloo. Rochester has yet to announce their starting pitcher for tomorrow’s contest.
Monday’s game is another Buck Night and is the final SCHEELS Highway 63 Cup game between Waterloo and Rochester. 10 oz. draft beer, 12 oz. fountain soda, small popcorn and ice cream sandwiches are just $1.00 while hot dogs cost $1.50.
All Waterloo Bucks games can be heard online at waterloobucks.com with Jared Shlensky.
