Waterloo, IA – The Waterloo Bucks (25–21) claimed their ninth consecutive win on Friday night, beating the Thunder Bay Border Cats (19–25) 8–3 to cap off the four-game series sweep.

This the second-straight four games sweep the Bucks have taken over a Great Plains East opponent, doing the same thing against the Eau Claire Express in their previous series.

The Bucks got on the board early with two runs on an RBI-double from outfielder Cole Hill, but were unable to score for the next six innings as the Border Cats tied the game with runs in the second and sixth innings.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the eighth when the Bucks finally hit their stride at the dish, putting up six runs in the frame. Infielder Brandon Fish got the run started with a two-RBI knock into left field. and the batting order followed suit from there.

Fish finished the day going 1-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs while the aforementioned Hill went 2-for-5 on the evening with two doubles, one run scored and three RBIs.

The Border Cats had an opportunity to go ahead in the top of the eighth with runners on first and second and only one out, but Bucks reliever Luke Llewellyn came out of the bullpen and struck out two batters on six pitches to keep the game tied. Llewellyn also recorded all three outs in the top of the ninth to seal the win for Waterloo.

The Bucks will now travel up to La Crosse for a two-game weekend series against the Loggers. With Waterloo sitting atop the second half standings and La Crosse sitting right below them at second, this series is certain to have big playoff implications. First pitch for Saturday night is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.