WATERLOO, Iowa – The Waterloo Bucks have walked off the La Crosse Loggers.

On what seemed to be a traditional back-and-forth game, the La Crosse Loggers (12-10) seemed to be in control the entire game. A run in the first and second innings build a 2-0 lead, and even after Waterloo tied the game with two runs of their own in the third, the Loggers struck back with a two-run home run to left field.

The score remained 4-2 for most of the ballgame until the bottom of the seventh inning. The Waterloo Bucks (5-15) scored three runs off the back of two base hits, and two Logger errors to take their first lead of the game 5-4. But the Loggers didn’t take long to take it right back as they scored three of their own in the top of the eighth to reclaim the lead.

Despite a Liam Critchett walk in the bottom of the eighth, the Bucks couldn’t get any offense going and La Crosse added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. To add on to the Bucks’ misfortune, the Loggers’ reliable closer Trey Frahm came into the ballgame to slam the door.

However, this time the La Crosse flamethrower wasn’t so reliable. After a strikeout on the leadoff batter, Frahm hit two consecutive batters and allowed pinch hitter Tai Walton to reach on a single to load up the bases. The next batter, Ryan Grabosch was also hit by the pitch to drive in a run in the bottom of the ninth, 8-6.

The very next batter, Shaydon Kubo, drew another bases-loaded walk, 8-7. However, the Bucks’ confidence would take a dive when Liam Critchett was called out on strikes for the second out of the inning.

Jalen Martinez, in a pinch-hit appearance, and the Bucks down to their final out was the man for the job. Martinez lined a shot into right field off the first baseman’s glove that easily scored Tai Walton to tie the game. But then third base coach Joey Rosenblum sent the runner Ryan Grabosch, the throw came in and was off the mark. The Bucks walked off the Loggers, 9-8.

The dugout exploded to mob Martinez as the Bucks snapped the eight-game winning streak the Loggers had acquired and snapped the three-game losing streak of their own.

Riding high off the win the Bucks now welcome the Rochester Honkers into Riverfront Stadium for the first of a two-game home-and-home series. You can still purchase tickets to the game against Rochester on waterloobucks.com. If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, you can stream the game on Watch NWL. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.