Waterloo Bucks (16-7) second baseman Daniel Irisarri (3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, 3B, HR, 6 RBI) came off the bench and finished a single shy of the cycle while driving in six to serve as the catalyst for a 12-7 comeback win over the La Crosse Loggers (11-12) in Wednesday’s first game of the Bucks’ road doubleheader. Trailing 5-0 after three complete, Waterloo mounted a furious comeback by plating all 12 runs in the middle innings to earn a critical victory and move their Great Plains-East lead to 5.0 games over the Loggers. Five Bucks batters posted muti-hit efforts while the pitching staff worked around six errors to allow zero earned runs.

Down 5-0 entering the fourth, Garrett McGowan (1-for-4, BB, 2 R, RBI) drew a walk to open the frame then went first-to-third on a Max Jung-Goldberg (2-for-5, 2 R, SB) single. Josh Kasevich (2-for-3, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB, SF) plated McGowan with a sacrifice fly, then Irisarri crushed a two-run home run to deep left-center, cutting the deficit to two.

La Crosse got a run back in the fourth, but the Bucks responded with a massive six-run fifth that saw seven of the first nine batters reach base. Chris Seng (1-for-5, R, 2B) doubled down the right field line to chase La Crosse’s starter from the game, then Johnny Tincher (1-for-5, R), McGowan and Jalen Smith (2-for-4, BB, 2 R, 2B, RBI) rapped three straight singles to plate two runs. Two batters later Kasevich tied the game with an RBI single, scoring McGowan, then Irisarri laced a go-ahead RBI double followed by a two-run Blaine Marchman (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI) single.

The Bucks capped off their scoring in the sixth as Smith walked, Jung-Goldberg singled and Kasevich took ball four to load the bases before Irisarri ripped a three-run triple down the right field line.

Jordan Nelson earned his Northwoods League-leading fourth win of the summer in relief, allowing two unearned runs over 4.0 innings of work while scattering two hits and a walk. Nelson struck out one and worked at a 61.1% first-pitch strike rate. Camren Landry finished things off with 2.0 scoreless frames of one-hit, one-walk baseball, striking out two.

Waterloo and the Loggers wrap up their doubleheader at 6:35 p.m. CST at Copeland Park on Wednesday evening.