In a battle for the top of the pod, Waterloo stuggled out of the gate and fell 18-7 on the road at Willmar.

Willmar started hot and tagged Waterloo starter Tate Kuehner for five runs in the first. The Bucks answered in the top of the second with an RBI single from Charley Hesse. Willmar piled on eight more runs against the Bucks to go in front 13-1.

The teams traded blows and by the final out the Stingers had put up 18 runs to only seven for Waterloo. Tate Kuehner took the loss for Waterloo, and John Bezdicek earned the win six innings and one earned run.

The Bucks and Stingers will play a doubleheader tomorrow with first pitch at 1:05 and game two starting at 7:05.