Waterloo Bucks (32-32, 12-16) starter Brandon Vial earned the 24th win of his collegiate career in a rain-shortened 14-2 win over the Thunder Bay Border Cats (23-42, 9-21) on Monday night. Making his final collegiate outing before beginning a coaching career this fall, Vial tossed 6.0 innings of two-run baseball with six strikeouts and 12 whiffs on 100 pitches.
The Bucks’ lineup backed up their starter with eight doubles, an eight-run eighth and a four-run sixth.
Mike Nyisztor (3-5, R, 2B), Reid Conlee (2-4, BB, 2 R, 2B, 4 RBI), Ethan Copeland (2-6, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI), Blake Wagenseller (2-5, R, HR, 3 RBI), Alonzo Rubalcaba (2-4, BB, 2 R, RBI) and Morgan Hostetler (2-3, 2 BB, 3 R, 2B) all produced multi-hit games.
Due to torrential rainfall and excessive lightning, the game was called in the top of the eighth.
The Bucks and the Border Cats will end their series on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. in Waterloo.