Waterloo, IA – The Express came out firing to blow the Bucks out of the water by scoring in each of the first five innings to take a 12-0 lead they would not lose. Matthew Maulik went 3-5 with four RBIs, Quinten Marsh drilled a two-run home run, and CJ Varsho notched three hits and an RBI in a 12-2 Eau Claire rout of Waterloo.
After sweeping the doubleheader, the Express kept things rolling in the top of the first inning Tuesday night. Philip Cheong reached on an error to lead off the game, then moved up on a CJ Varsho single before scoring on Cade Palkowski’s bloop single to left to give Eau Claire the lead, 1-0. After an error led to a run to make it 2-0, Matthew Maulik lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring in one more to make it 3-0.
In the top of the second, the Express widened the gap. With one out, Cheong cued an infield single, then a Varsho double put two in scoring position before a balk let a run in to make it 4-0. During that at-bat, Anthony Martinez tucked a two-bagger down the third base line to plate Varsho to make it 5-0. On the next pitch, Maulik clobbered a double to right to grow the lead to 6-0.
In the top of the third, Eau Claire broke it open. Sawyer Stein singled to open the offense in the inning, then stole second in front of Quinten Marsh, who muscled a single to left to make it 7-0. After another single and a walk loaded the bases, Varsho served an RBI single to left to move the lead to 8-0. The next batter grounded into a double play to bring another run in to make it 9-0.
In the top of the fourth, Marsh put the Express into double digits with a two-run home run to right to make it 11-0 before a double from Palkowski and an RBI single from Maulik put the finishing touches on the offense for Eau Claire.
Cole Bronoel-Cuthrell kept the Express quiet after that with seven innings of work out of the bullpen, but the Bucks couldn’t capitalize in a 12-2 loss in game three of the series Tuesday night.
With the loss, Waterloo goes to 23-30 on the season and 9-10 in the second half. The series finale is slated for Wednesday night at 6:35 pm. Nate Berzonski is on the bump for the Bucks opposite Mike Erspamer of the Express.