WATERLOO, Iowa – The bullpen couldn’t hang on.
Starter Ethan Froud pitched five innings of two-hit, shutout ball on Thursday night, leaving with a 1-0 lead.
But the host Waterloo Bucks simply outlasted him.
With Jimmy Cerha on the mound in relief, Trey Butler led off the sixth with a walk, stole second and scored on Marcus Heusohn’s double to left. Waterloo’s Jimmy Nugent followed with a double of his own, giving the Bucks a 2-1 lead.
Manny Alberto doubled home Braxton Templin with two outs in the seventh, but was stranded there.
Waterloo took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning.
It was another leadoff walk that proved costly.
Owen Ross doubled to left off Cerha, giving the Bucks a 3-2 lead, which held up the rest of the way.
Juan Reyes got the start for Waterloo (9-1), allowing one run on two hits while striking out a pair.
Logan Boenker came on in the ninth to close things out, earning the save.
The Bucks retired the final seven Border Cats batters in order.
Hayden Stringfellow scored Thunder Bay’s only other run, crossing the plate on a wild pitch in the fifth.
The Cats (5-5) and Bucks will tangle again on Friday night in Waterloo.
Thunder Bay returns home on Monday night to face the Eau Claire Express.
