The Waterloo Bucks (9-3) used 10 runs scored over the sixth and seventh to blow by the Eau Claire Express (4-8) 11-3 on Friday evening, now standing alone with the Northwoods League’s best record. Eight of the Bucks’ starters recorded at least one hit in the win, while five posted multi-hit evenings. Thanks to losses by La Crosse and Duluth, the Bucks regained a 3.0-game lead in the Great Plains East and hold 5.0 and 6.0-game advantages on the Express and Huskies.

Amir Asghar started for the Bucks, tossing 4.0 innings of four-hit, three-walk baseball while allowing three earned and striking out four. Waterloo’s bullpen dominated Eau Claire the rest of the way, as Curren Larson earned the win with 2.1 innings of work with four strikeouts, allowing just two baserunners on a single and a walk. Logan Jones retired all five batters he faced with one punchout, while Camren Landry fired a one-two-three ninth with a strikeout of his own.

Paul Steffensen (3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI) was hit by a pitch with one out in the third and moved to second on a balk before Garrett McGowan (2-for-4, BB, 2B, RBI) took ball four. Steffensen danced off second and got caught in a rundown but alertly kept the ball moving until he drew an obstruction call on the pitcher racing up the baseline, moving both he and McGowan into scoring position at third and second respectively. Gabe Garcia (1-for-4, BB, HBP, R, RBI) bounced a ball to short and Steffensen raced home, sliding safely wide and under the tag as the throw came to the plate, scoring the game’s first run.

Trailing 3-1 entering the sixth after a brief Express rally, Garcia led off with a walk and went first-to-third on a Max Jung-Goldberg (2-for-5, 2 R, SB) single. Daniel Irisarri (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, SB, SF) lifted a sacrifice fly to left-center, followed by a single off the bat of Cameron Repetti (1-for-4, BB, R). Emi Gonzalez (2-for-4, BB, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI) drew a walk to fill the bases then a wild pitch allowed Jung-Goldberg to score the game’s tying run. Gabe Baldovino (1-for-3, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI) watched ball four go by, reloading the bases. Two batters later Steffensen laced a two-run single into left, providing the Bucks with a 5-3 lead.

With one out in the seventh, Jung-Goldberg and Irisarri rapped back-to-back singles, executed a double steal then Repetti took a walk. Gonzalez drilled a two-run double down the right field line followed by a Baldovino two-run single rifled into right. Steffensen cracked an RBI double two batters later, then McGowan closed out the scoring with a mile-high popup that landed untouched for an infield single, plating Steffensen.

The Bucks posted a season-high four extra-base hits and did not commit an error in the field.

Waterloo returns to Cost Cutters Field at Riverfront Stadium on Saturday for a two-game series with Duluth beginning at 6:35 p.m. CST.