BISMARCK, N.D. – After a five-hour bus ride from Willmar to Bismarck, the Bucks were unphased and dominated the Larks for nine innings.

The Waterloo Bucks (3-12, 12-37) put all the pieces together as they used a combo of pitching and hitting to dominate the Bismarck Larks (6-11, 17-34). Despite allowing a small ball run in the first inning, the Bucks responded by tying the game in the next frame as Caleb Corbin scored on a wild pitch.

The Bucks added three more in the third on an RBI double from Josh Patrick, another run on a wild pitch, and a double steal with Patrick swiping home.

Bismarck didn’t go down without a fight, scoring two in the bottom of the third to make it just a one-run ballgame, 4-3.

That’s when the bats exploded for Waterloo with a six spot in the fourth, followed by three more runs in the fifth scoring nine unanswered runs taking a 13-3 lead.

While the offense was scoring, the Bucks’ pitching staff had a night to be remembered, flying under the radar. Starter Dylan Warda went three innings allowing three runs off one hit, Cameron Hagan took the middle three in relief also allowing just one hit and earning the win out of the bullpen, and Matteo Sollecito dealt the final three frames, also allowing just the one hit en route to his first save of the season.

The lone bright spot for the Larks was a two-run home run in the eighth as Jackson Beaman sent a moonshot over the leftfield wall to make it 13-5. The eight-run deficit didn’t last long as the Bucks scored two in the ninth to get the ten-run lead right back as they went on to defeat the Larks, 15-5.

Despite 12 base hits, only one was for extra bases on a Josh Patrick double. But that wasn’t even one of the main highlights of the Bucks’ offense Monday night. Tai Walton collected three hits and three RBI. Clayton Gray had just a hit but reached four more times with four walks.

However, the Player of the Game was Caleb Corbin who went 3-for-3, with two RBIs, and three walks to go alongside it with six plate appearances, and six times reaching base safely.

The Bucks now turn their attention to Tuesday’s split doubleheader from Bismarck Municipal Ballpark. First pitch for the first game is scheduled for 12:05 p.m., while game two is slated for 6:35 p.m. You can tune in to both games at waterloobucks.com.