St. Cloud, MN – The Waterloo Bucks lost their second consecutive game on Saturday, July 26, as they fell 7-6 in an extra-inning thriller at Joe Faber Field to the St. Cloud Rox.
In the bottom of the tenth with a runner at second, no outs and a one-run lead, the Bucks fell victim to a walk-off home run for the second time this season. The two-run big fly served as the fourth and final lead change of the contest in the back-and-forth battle.
Waterloo grabbed the lead for the second time in the evening in the top of the tenth on an infield single off the bat of Larry Edwards that plated pinch-runner Sam Finn and jumped the Bucks in front 6-5.
The biggest inning of the day occurred in the top of the third when Jake Bechtel launched his team-leading tenth home run of the year for the third Waterloo grand slam of 2025. Bechtel’s long ball gave the Bucks the first lead of the contest by putting Waterloo ahead 4-0. However, just like the previous two times the Bucks struck first against the Rox, they ultimately fell in the end.
Brandon Rice delivered three frames without allowing an earned run, and Vincent Cicolello dealt 1.2 IP of scoreless work to keep the Bucks in the contest.
Cole Smith and Mitchell Iliff earned the only other two knocks of the day for Waterloo as the team finished with four hits for the game.
By failing to reach base safely in this contest, Jake Slade’s on-base streak halts at 26 games. That streak remains the highest by any Buck in 2025. With his hit, walk and hit-by-pitch, Edwards extended his on-base streak to 20 games.
Tomorrow, Sunday, July 27, the series concludes at Joe Faber Field with the Bucks taking on the Rox at 4:05 pm (CDT).