The Waterloo Bucks (28-21, 5-10) erased a 5-0 deficit through three with a six-run fourth but left the tying run on third in the ninth as they fell 9-8 to the St. Cloud Rox (36-12, 12-4) on Friday night. Jalen Smith (3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, RBI) gave the Bucks a three-hit game while Chris Seng (2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI) and Josh Kasevich (2-for-5, R, SB) each picked up multi-hit nights. Waterloo went 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position but walked seven batters and hit three more.

Down 5-0 after three, Kasevich broke up a no-hitter with a leadoff single in the fourth. Mike Campagna (0-for-5, R, ROE) reached on a throwing error that moved Kasevich to third, then Jackson Lyon (1-for-4, R, 2B, RBI) ripped an RBI double to left-center. Emi Gonzalez (0-for-2, 2 BB, R) drew a walk to fill the bases followed by a Tristan Gomes (0-for-4, RBI) run-scoring groundout. Seng plated Lyon and Gonzalez with a two-run hustle double to left, then Luke Fennelly (1-for-4, BB, R, RBI) tied the game with an RBI single. Smith plated Fennelly two pitches later on a single laced into right.

St. Cloud responded with a four-run fifth inning. The Bucks got a run back in the seventh as Smith doubled then scored on a double.

Trailing by two entering the ninth, Smith and Kasevich cracked back-to-back two-out, two-strike singles followed by a Max Jung-Goldberg (1-for-5, RBI) RBI single ripped down the right field line. St. Cloud recorded the final out one batter later.

Curren Larson (2.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 5 K) and Zach Button (GF, 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K) combined for 3.0 scoreless innings of relief to close things out.

Waterloo opens a four-game road series in Bismarck on Saturday beginning at 6:35 p.m. CST.