Waterloo, IA – The Waterloo Bucks faced off against the La Crosse Loggers for the last time at Riverfront Stadium and defeated the first-half champions in game two, 9-8.
Logger bats started the game ready and hungry. They sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the first inning against Bucks’ started Kevin Jaxel (Virginia) and scored two runs in three hits with an RBI single from catcher Kanon Sundgren (Weatherford College).
Another two runs in the third inning from a two-run home run over the rightfield wall by Zach Wadas (TCU) going 388 feet into the night.
The Waterloo scoring began in the bottom of the fourth inning starting the inning down 4-0, but ending it being one run out of a tie. Danny Gavin (Gustavus Adolphus) steps into the box with Evan Morrison (Grand Valley State) and Charlie Bogue (Wisconsin-Whitewater) on the bases. He connects on his first career collegiate home run over the rightfield wall and the energy shifted the way of Waterloo. In the fifth inning, two more scores were scored on a Morrison sacrifice fly and a Bogue RBI single.
Waterloo held the lead into the sixth when La Crosse tied it up with an RBI double-play, fielder choice, and one more in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead, 6-5.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the game was coming down to the wire, much like the first game on August 1st, and Waterloo Bucked up and set the tone offensively. Eight runners came to the plate in an inning that saw four runs on five hits, including a two-run single from Luke Finn (East Texas Baptist) and an RBI double from Lucas Moore (Louisville).
The score headed into the top of the ninth inning was 9-6 Waterloo, it seemed like it was going to come down to the wire regardless of who was pitching or hitting and that is what happened. Two runs scored in the inning to pull the game to one run when Jacob Phillips (Guilford College) came out of the bullpen and threw only two pitches to close out the series in the Bucks’ favor.
Waterloo starts their final home series of 2024 against the first-place Duluth Huskies tomorrow, August 3rd, with the first pitch set for 6:35 PM.