Rochester, MN – The Waterloo Bucks return from the All-Star Break and keep their winning ways going, as they defeated the Rochester Honkers in both games of a seven-inning doubleheader.

Game One: In Game One, the Bucks sent out their ace Kevin Jaxel (Virginia) to eat up innings and that is exactly what he did. Going six full innings of shutout baseball while only allowing two hits with six strikeouts, the Bucks used the strength of their righty through the majority of the game.

The first run of the game came from Marcus Heusohn (UIC), who was off the bat of a 4-3 fielders choice from Luke Finn (East Texas Baptist) at the top of the fourth inning. Then the second run came in the top of the seventh when Finn scored off an infield single from his teammate Ian Halverson (Palomar College).

In the bottom of the inning, the Bucks All-Star Chaney Trout (Eastern Illinois) came in to close it out and that is exactly what he did over the five batters he faced. The Bucks pitching locked in for an incredible outing from the arms only allowing three hits from the home Honker bats in a 2-0 win.

Game Two: The second game ended up going to an extra eight innings, with the Bucks scoring in four of their offensive innings, including two separate times where three runs were scored.

The Bucks offense started in Game Two with Cole Smith (Southeastern CC) scoring on a 4-3 fielders choice to give the Bucks the lead in the top of the first. In the top of the third inning, Waterloo had the bases loaded after the first three runners got on. The first runner, Solen Munson (Texas Tech), scored on an infield groundout fielder’s choice off the bat of Lucas Moore (Louisville). The next two runners, Danny Gavin (Gustavus Adolphus) and Cole Smith scored on back-to-back wild pitches giving the Bucks a 3-0 lead.

Rochester scored five runs between the fourth and sixth innings and took the lead for the first and only time in the two games.

Rochester just needed three outs in the top of the seventh to win game two, but Solen Munson smoked an opposite-field lead-off homerun for his second of the season and the game was tied at five all.

Going into extra innings (eight innings), the Bucks started with a ghost runner on second, Evan Morrison (McPherson College), and Marcus Heusohn on first after a walk. The next two batters Luke Finn and Christian Smith (Illinois) hit opposite-field doubles that were just inside the line. Finn scored the first two runners, while Smith scored Finn and the lead was 8-5.

Rochester scored one run in the bottom half and was threatening when right-handers Alex Morrison (Los Angeles Mission College) & Jack Scorfano (Santa Ana College) held the Honkers with runners in scoring position.

Waterloo now sits in third in the Great Plains East and is only one game out of first place in the second-half standings. The Bucks face the Honkers for the final time in 2024, with the game at Mayo Field set for 6:35 PM.