The Waterloo Bucks (23-12, 0-1) were walked off 2-1 on a bases-loaded nobody-out single in the bottom of the seventh by the Mankato MoonDogs (25-9, 1-0) on Wednesday evening in game one of their road doubleheader. Blaze Pontes gave the Bucks 4.0 strong innings of one-run baseball in his second start of the summer, scattering three hits and walking none while striking out two. Josh Kasevich (2-for-4), Chris Seng (1-for-4), Garrett McGowan (1-for-3, BB, R) and Blaine Marchman (1-for-3, RBI) accounted for Waterloo’s five hits. The Bucks went just 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Waterloo tallied their lone run in the sixth inning as McGowan and Kasevich led off with back-to-back singles and Liam Critchett (0-for-2, BB) drew a two-out walk to fill the bases before Marchman reached on an RBI infield single to third.

Curren Larson impressed in relief, striking out four over 2.0 scoreless and allowing just one hit and a walk.

The Bucks and MoonDogs will begin game two of the doubleheader at approximately 8:00 p.m. CST.