Waterloo, IA – Rochester used four runs in the fourth and three more in the third to take a seven-run lead that was too much to overcome for Waterloo as the Honkers took game one of the Bucks homestand, 14-9, and swept the home and home on Friday night. 

After trailing late in the game Thursday, Rochester scored four runs in the top of the first inning. A pair of two-run home runs from Nolan Ganter and Nick Bowron catapulted the Honkers in front, 4-0. 

In the top of the third, Rochester extended their lead. A one-out walk and a double put two on for Brady Errecart, who ripped a single to left to plate both runs to make it 6-0. One batter later, Matt Maize laced a double to right that scored Errecart to grow the lead to 7-0. 

In the bottom of the frame, Waterloo got on the board. Collin Brightwell legged out a swinging bunt, then stole second. Zach Davis tapped an infield single that Brightwell scored on all the way from second to chip the lead to 7-1. 

After Rochester put one on the board on a Bowron RBI single, the Bucks posted a five-run inning in the last of the fifth. Bubby Dotszan-Campbell singled to lead off, then Jake Miller doubled him in to make it 8-2. Davis came up with a single to left to bring home Miller to make it 8-3. Mitchell Iliff doubled to set up MJ Sweeney who blasted a three-run homer to right to cut the lead to two, 8-6. 

That was as close as the Bucks got as Rochester responded with five of their own in the top of the sixth, then one more in the seventh. Waterloo brought home a pair in the bottom of the sixth and one in the eighth, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit as the Honkers swept the home and home series with a 14-9 win Friday night. 

With the loss, the Bucks go to 6-6 on the season. Waterloo welcomes in Rockford Saturday night for a two-game series. Game one is slated for 6:35 pm. Both starters are TBD.

https://northwoodsleague.com/baseball/game/?id=5777