WATERLOO, Iowa – The Bucks were after their first series sweep of the season and had the lead over the subdivision-leading Express. That was, until the fifth inning.

After the Waterloo Bucks (11-33, 2-8) took down the Eau Claire Express (28-18, 9-3) on Saturday, the Bucks looked to do so again with a two-run home run from Karl Koerper to take an early 2-0 lead.

But the early innings featured a tight back-and-forth ballgame as Eau Claire claimed the lead with a three-run second inning to take a lead that wouldn’t last long as in the bottom of the second Mason Dobie hit an RBI single that scored Tynan Shahidi to tie the game at three.

The Bucks scored in every inning from the first to the fifth inning. Ryan Grabosch hit an RBI single in the third, Koerper hit a two-RBI double in the fourth, and Cameron Cromer hit an RBI single in the fifth inning scoring seven runs total.

However, the Express would score ten runs in the top of the fifth on six hits, three walks, and two Waterloo errors. That fifth inning would propel the Express to their 14-9 victory to split the series with the Bucks.

It was the third time in the second half that the Bucks allowed a double-digit inning to their opponents. The game was the final prior to the all-star break.

Ryan Guardino, Tai Walton, and Cameron Cromer will head to Wisconsin Rapids for the 2022 Northwoods League All-Star game which will air at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+ from Witter Field, home of the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.