Facing a 3-1 deficit heading into the bottom of the fourth, the Waterloo Bucks (14-13) battled back to defeat the Eau Claire Express (13-14) on Saturday night. With the win, Waterloo again stands alone as the first-place team in the Great Plains-East.
Down 2-0 in the third, Patrick Ferguson (1-2, 3 BB, 2B, 2 RBI) drew a bases-loaded walk to get Waterloo on the board. After the Express added a run in the top of the fourth, Alonzo Rubalcaba (0-2, 2 BB, R) and Tony Jenkins (2-3, BB, 2 R, SB) took back-to-back walks to open the home half. After a failed bunt attempt, Blake Berry (1-4, BB, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI) smashed a three-run home run to right, giving the Bucks a 4-3 lead. Bennett Hostetler (1-2, 2 BB, HBP, 2 R, SB) drew a walk and stole second, then scored on a R.J. Teijeiro (1-4, R, RBI, SB) RBI single. Matt Campos (1-4, RBI) knocked in Teijeiro two batters later, capping off a five-run fourth.
Starter Justin Beyer took a no-decision after going 4.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and two walks. The righthander struck out two.
Ferguson added a run in the sixth with an RBI double, then Jenkins scored the final run in the seventh on a throwing error.
Brett Lockwood stranded the tying run on third in back-to-back innings en route to earning his second straight win in relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless frames while working around one hit and punching out one. Jimmy Smiley picked up the save with 2.0 shutout innings of one-hit ball.
Waterloo worked counts extremely well, drawing 11 walks.
The Bucks and Eau Claire wrap up their series on Sunday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. in Waterloo.