WATERLOO, IOWA- The Waterloo Bucks (13-4) pull off their first shutout of the season to win six games in a row after dismantling the Thunder Bay Border Cats (6-11) on Thursday (June 15).
Thunder Bay was the home team since this two game series was originally supposed to be played in Canada but due to field renovations at Port Arthur Stadium, the Border Cats have played every game this season on the road.
The Bucks scored first right away on a fielding error by the third baseman Kevin Biondic allowing Jay Schuyler to score. 1-0 was the tally until the fifth inning when Keaton Presley drove in a run on an RBI sacrifice fly out to left field.
Jake Mielock (0-1) tossed four inning with no earned runs and seven strikeouts but was still saddled with his first loss of the season. His counterpart, Hunter Spencer (3-1) continued to be effective with four strikeouts in five and a third innings of shutout pitching.
The game was broken open by the Bucks in the top of the seventh and it all started with an error allowing a run to cruise in with the bases load. Thunder Bay committed four errors in the game.
Grant Hawkins followed it up with a clutch two-run single to right center making it 5-0 Bucks. Waterloo pulled off a double steal to add a run as Jay Schuyler joined the hit parade with a RBI double laced down the third base line. Zach Malis delivered RBI number 15 of the season to put the Bucks ahead 8-0 after seven innings and that's all the Border Cats could handle.
After the St. Cloud Rox lost, the Bucks now carry a two game lead for first place in the Northwoods League North Division.
The Border Cats are the home team again tomorrow night, June 16 in the series finale at Riverfront Stadium starting at 6:35 with a fireworks extravaganza immediately following the game.
###
The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Bucks as your favorite team.
