(Willmar, M.N.)- After a stirring victory Monday night, the Willmar Stingers were unable to replicate their success Tuesday as they fell to the Waterloo Bucks to split the two-game series. Waterloo enjoyed an early advantage, then rode good starting pitching to a decisive 10-4 win.

The Bucks took the lead first in the second, thanks in large part to a towering three-run home run off the bat of Ben Doremus. For Doremus, it was his first home run of the year and the third of the series for the Bucks. Waterloo scored four in the second inning to give themselves some cushion early.

Willmar answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning as Schnurbusch scored on a wild pitch, but Willmar was unable to get substantial runs off of Waterloo starter Ben Olson. Olson went six innings for the Bucks, giving up two runs on just four hits.

The Stingers kept the disadvantage fairly close for most of the way, as Waterloo held a 6-3 lead going into the ninth. It was in that ninth where the Bucks put the game out of reach. The Bucks scored four runs in the top half of the inning to take a seven-lead into the bottom of the ninth. While Willmar added one more run in the ninth on a Kyle Manzardo RBI base hit, it was too little too late as the Bucks won 10-4.

Jack Zigan, the Stingers starter, threw his season-long outing, going seven strong, allowing six runs on ten hits, striking out four. Reliever Ben Borrman pitched his best all season, throwing a scoreless inning of relief, striking out a pair.

At the plate, Brooks Lee had himself a multi-hit game, including a double. Griffin Cheney also had a pair of hits in the loss, scoring two of the Stingers’ four runs.

Willmar drops to 19-16, but take the season series from Waterloo by a total of 5-4. The Stingers back in action tomorrow as they travel to St. Cloud to face the Rox in a two game series.