Duluth, MN – Caleb Parker tallies three hits and three RBIs, Mycah Jordan knocked in a pair of runs, and Larry Edwards stole his 100th base in his NWL career in a 10-6 sweep of the Huskies.
After falling behind early in game one on Friday night, the Bucks grabbed the advantage at the top of the first inning in game two. With the bases loaded and nobody out, MJ Sweeney popped up, and an infield fly was called. The Huskies’ defense thought they had turned a double play on the pop-up, but never tagged out Larry Edwards, who crossed home plate to put the first run on the board and give Waterloo a 1-0 edge.
George Baker walked, then Dane Most was hit by a pitch to start the inning. One batter later, Mycah Jordan muscled a single to left to plate Baker to take a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Huskies answered back with a moonshot of a solo shot off the bat of Waylon Walsh to chip the lead to 2-1.
In the top of the third, the Bucks grew their lead. Caleb Parker roped a single to center to lead off, then moved up to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Jake Slade smoked a double down the third base line to bring in Parker to make it 3-1. After the bases are loaded, Jordan lifts a sacrifice fly to right to bring in another run to push the lead to 4-1
In the home half of the inning, the Huskies got those runs back. Two singles scored on a Jalen Smith booming double to the gap in left to trim the lead to 4-3.
In the top of the fourth, Waterloo widened the gap. Edwards led off with a double, then scored on Parker’s RBI single to make it 5-3.
In the road half of the fifth, the Bucks began to pull away. A walk from Dane Most led off the inning, then Mycah Jordan put a sacrifice bunt down and a throwing error on the play allowed Most to score to make it 6-3 and put Jordan on third. After Edwards walked, he stole second to draw the throw and open the door for Jordan to steal home to make it 7-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Huskies brought it within one. Anthony Cepeda tripled to open the frame, then scored on a Kayden Campbell infield single to chisel the lead to 7-4. Now with two outs, Brayden Smith rifled a single to left to plate two runs to pinch the lead to 7-6.
In the top of the seventh, the Bucks responded right away. With one out, Brightwell legged out an infield single, then Edwards walked. After one more walk loaded the bases, Parker dropped a ground-rul double down the left field line to move the lead back to three runs, 9-6. MJ Sweeney added one more tally with a sac fly to right to make it 10-6, the score that would be the final.
With the win, Waterloo goes to 20-22 and 6-2 in the second half of the season as well as 5-1 against Duluth. The Bucks head south to Fond Du Lac to begin a two-game series with the Dock Spiders on Sunday. First pitch in game one is slated for 4:05 pm. Both starters are TBD.