A pair of four-run innings in the fifth and the eighth powered the Waterloo Bucks (25-26, 5-10) over the La Crosse Loggers (25-26, 8-7) on Saturday evening. Each Buck starter had at least one hit, and Bucks relievers combined for four scoreless innings.

Trey Leonard (1-3, BB, HBP, 2 R) led things off in the first with a walk, later scoring on a Blake Wagenseller (2-4, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI, SF) sacrifice fly. The Loggers tied the game at one in the third. With one out in the fourth, Patrick Ferguson (2-4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, SF) singled, Kyler Arenado (1-2, 3 BB, R) walked and Mike Nyisztor (2-5, RBI) singled to load the bases. Bryce Wooldridge (2-5, 2 RBI) reached base on an error, reclaiming a 2-1 Bucks lead.

The first four-run frame was sparked by a Dylan Phillips (1-5, R, 3B) triple deep to the right-center alley. Matt Campos (1-3, 2 BB, 2 R, RBI) singled him in, then Wagenseller hammered an RBI double to left. Up 4-1, Ferguson deposited his seventh home run of the season deep to right field.

Luke Mattson starred over 5.0 innings of one-run baseball, earning his first Waterloo win by scattering seven hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts. The righty worked at a 72.7% first-pitch strike rate and generated grounders at a 61.1% clip.

Leonard led off the eighth with a single, then moved to second on a one-out walk drawn by Campos. Wagenseller brought him home on a single, then Ferguson lifted a sacrifice fly to left, bringing in Campos. Arenado singled, then Nyisztor and Wooldridge knocked back-to-back RBI singles to make it a 10-1 game.

Waterloo relievers Jack Corkery (2.0 ip, K), Brett Lockwood (1.0 ip, H, K) and Dylan Phillips (1.0 ip, K) combined for four scoreless innings, retiring 12 of 13 batters faced.

The Bucks and La Crosse end their season series on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. in Waterloo.

Box Score