Jordan Desguin (Florida Gulf Coast) struck out 10 and surrendered two hits in a sensational seven-inning start against the Growlers on Father’s Day.
By: Matt Gruemmer, Waterloo Bucks
WATERLOO, Iowa – The historical Kalamazoo comeback in the ninth inning on June 11 could not be repeated as the Waterloo Bucks (15-12) held on to their double-digit lead and downed the Growlers (7-20), 11-1, Sunday at Riverfront Stadium. Jordan Desguin (1-1) (Florida Gulf Coast) took the win over a dominating seven innings on the mound in a start that featured no runs, two hits and 10 strikeouts.
Waterloo’s offense stayed hot in the box with twelve hits and 11 runs, all coming in the first four frames. Matthew James (Illinois) collected two RBIs and went 3-for-4 with three singles while Taylor Lane (Florida) scored three runs and tallied two hits in the win. Tyler Selesky (Florida Gulf Coast) hit his second homerun of the season in the bout with a solo shot to lead off the third inning, and Mark Hernandez (Long Island) received four base-on-balls during the afternoon.
The Bucks entered the scoring column with five runs on six hits in the second to go up, 5-0. After a leadoff walk by Hernandez, the Bucks sent four consecutive singles into left field. Selesky, James, Lane and Weston Hatten (Washington St.) started the hitting party and all scored along with Hernandez for the inning’s five runs.
Mikal Hill (Winston-Salem St.) drove in the second run in the second inning with a sacrifice fly to deep left field. Then, scoring singles from both Zach Soria (Florida International) and Ryan Nagle (Illinois) made it a five-run Waterloo advantage after two.
In the bottom of the third, Selesky opened another run-scoring frame by taking the second pitch of the inning over the right field wall. The homerun marked the second long ball of the year for Selesky, and it sent Waterloo in front, 6-0.
Later in the third, Zach McKinstry (Central Michigan) knocked in Lane and James with a two-out single to left field to open up an 8-0 lead in favor of the Bucks.
Showing no signs of slowing down, Waterloo’s offense tallied three more scores in the bottom of the fourth to increase the edge, 11-0. Nagle curled a double down the line in right to open the fourth inning, and later scored on an errant throw from the Kalamazoo defense on a grounder from third to first base.
Lane reached on the same error and crossed the plate with Hernandez in the inning on James’ two RBI-single into right field. The two-run one-bagger by James was the last base-hit of the game for the Bucks as Justin Schander (Phoenix) shut down their offense, going scoreless and hitless from the fifth inning to the eighth in relief.
Desguin (1-1) earned the win and exited after seven shutout frames as the Waterloo starter. The right-hander allowed two hits, both to Kalamazoo’s Kory Brown (Bowling Green), walked two and struck out 10 in his second start for the Bucks.
Nathan Spielvogel (Marrimack) took over to begin the eighth, and surrendered the first Growler run on two hits in the inning. The reliever, then, shut down the Kalamazoo lineup in order to close the game in the ninth, sending the Bucks to an 11-1 victory.
The Bucks conclude the four-game home stand with the season-finale against Kalamazoo Monday night at 7:05 p.m. (CT). Every Monday home game, get regular hot dogs for just $1.50, plus 10 oz. draft beer, 12 oz. sodas, small popcorn, and ice cream sandwiches are just $1 each! Sponsored by K98.5.
Tickets are available at waterloobucks.com. You can also visit the Bucks Ticket Office at Riverfront Stadium or call 319-232-5633.
Bucks games are broadcast live on waterloobucks.com.
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The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com.