Eau Claire, WI – Caleb Parker went 3-5 and knocked in a pair of runs to set a new Bucks franchise record for RBIs in a single season with 66 RBIs, but Eau Claire rallied from a ten-run deficit to walk off the season finale, 14-13 in extras against Waterloo.
After dropping game one at Carson Park, the Bucks snatched the lead in the top of the third inning in the final game of 2026. With two outs, Caleb Parker singled to center in front of Jake Slade, who mashed a two-run homer to spring Waterloo up 2-0.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Express got a run back. Anthony Martinez doubled with one out, then moved up on a throwing error. One batter later, Martinez scored on a fielder’s choice to cut the lead to 2-1.
In the top of the fifth, the Bucks pulled ahead. Larry Edwards singled to lead off and moved up to third on an error, then Collin Brightwell walked and stole second. Next man up, Caleb Parker pulled a single to right to bring in both runs to set the new Bucks franchise record for RBIs in a single season with 66 to make it 4-1. With one out, Bubby Dosztan-Campbell roped a double to left to make it 5-1. A walk and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, then Jack Coluzzi, Caleb Seibers, and Edwards walked to force the lead to 8-1. Lastly, Brightwell grounded into a fielder’s choice that brought a run in, then another scored on a throwing error to pad the lead to 10-1.
In the top of the sixth, Waterloo got one more. Bubby roped a single to left, then two hit by pitches set the table for John Wubben to?/: lift a sacrifice fly to left to grow the lead to 11-1.
In the home half of the inning, Eau Claire scratched two across. Three walks loaded the bases before Landon Ubrig blooped a single to center to make it 11-2. One batter later, Ethan Miller popped a sacrifice fly to left to chip the lead down to 11-3.
In the top of the seventh, the Bucks got that run back. Edwards opened the inning with a double, then stole third before Brightwell brought him in with a sac fly to lift the lead to 12-3.
In the last of the seventh, the Express offense sparked. Two singles moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, then scored on a Jake Busson single to chop the lead to 12-5. Later in the inning, Jaxon Schumaker walked in front of Sawyer Stein, who blasted a homer to chop the lead to 12-7.
In the top of the eighth, Waterloo tallied one more run. Three walks loaded the bases for Seibers to move everyone up 90 feet with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 13-7.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Express clawed closer. Cade Palkowski reached on an error to lead off, then scored from first on Hollon Brock’s RBI double to chisel the lead to 13–8. Two walks jammed the bases, then Schumaker was hit by a pitch to drive in a run, 13-9. Next up, Stein flipped a single to right to plate a run to slice the lead to 13-10.
In the home half of the ninth, Eau Clare leveled the score. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases before Jake Busson worked a one-out walk to cut the cushion to 13-11. During the next at-bat, a wild pitch allowed a run to cross to trim the deficit to 13-12. In the same plate appearance, Schumacher drove a sac fly to left to push the game to extras, where Palkowski walked it off in the tenth with an RBI single right back up the middle to send the Bucks packing, 14-13.
With a loss in the season finale, Waterloo goes to 30-39 overall on the season and 16-19 in the second half. As the season reached its conclusion, the Bucks head home to Riverfront Stadium to pack up and prepare for the 2027 Northwoods League season.
https://northwoodsleague.com/baseball/game/?id=6532