Duncan Davitt struck out a collegiate career-best 10 batters over 5.2 scoreless innings of work while six Bucks batters recorded multi-hit games to lead Waterloo (5-1) to their fourth straight win, besting the Minnesota Mud Puppies (1-3) by a 9-1 final on Saturday night. Tynan Shahidi (3-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI) and Daniel Irisarri (3-for-3, RBI) each posted three-hit games as the Bucks pounded out 17 hits. Waterloo extended their first-place lead in the Great Plains-East division to a full 3.0 games thanks to losses by Duluth, La Crosse and Eau Claire.

Davitt was simply brilliant for Waterloo, firing 5.2 shutout frames and allowing just two hits and a walk to go with his 10 punchouts. The righthander threw 76 pitches and piled up 16 whiffs, working at a 70.7% first-pitch strike rate.

Waterloo began the scoring in the third as Chris Seng (2-for-4, BB, 3 R, 2B, 2 RBI) drew a one-out walk and went first-to-third two batters later on a Gabe Garcia (1-for-5, R, SB) single. Garcia took off for second on a well-timed steal, as the pitch skipped to the backstop and allowed Seng to cross home. Max Jung-Goldberg (2-for-5, RBI, ROE) bounced a grounder to first that was misplayed, scoring Garcia.

Tynan Shahidi led off the fifth by blasting his first collegiate home run to left-center field, followed by back-to-back singles courtesy of Seng and Garrett McGowan (2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI). Jung-Goldberg brought Seng home on a one-out single, then Irisarri added a run-scoring single of his own to plate McGowan.

The Bucks opened the sixth with five straight batters reaching. Emi Gonzalez (2-for-3, R) singled, Tavan Shahidi (0-for-4, HBP, R) was hit by a pitch then Tynan Shahidi dropped down a beautiful bunt single to load the bases. Seng went the opposite way down the right field line with a two-run double, then McGowan smoked a two-run double of his own down the left field line.

Amir Asghar went 1.2 innings of relief, striking out three and allowing just one hit while an unearned run came in on his line. Li’i “Blaze” Pontes closed things out, retiring all five batters he faced with three strikeouts while topping out at 96 miles per hour on his fastball.

Waterloo goes for a series win with a 4:05 p.m. CST first pitch at Riverfront Stadium on Sunday against the Mud Puppies.