Express Lose Back-And-Forth Contest 15-6 to Waterloo
June 8, 2025 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Eau Claire Express News Release
The Express were unable to secure the series sweep.
In a back-and-forth ballgame that was closer than the 15-6 final score indicated, Waterloo exploded for 12 runs in the final three innings to take over the game and secure the win. Eau Claire erased an early deficit to take the lead in the fifth, but the Bucks offense broke through late to recapture the lead and post the lopsided scoreline.
St. Thomas product Walker Retz got his third start of the season for the Express. The 6-foot-3 senior gave up a three-run home run for the first scoring of the game in the second, but quickly settled in to post a good outing for the Trains. Retz gave up just three hits after the homer, ultimately finishing with six innings pitched, seven hits, three earned runs, six strikeouts and just one walk.
The Eau Claire bats were relatively quiet early on, registering just three baserunners through the first four innings. That changed quickly in the fifth, though, as the Express got to Waterloo starter Eli Pillsbury. Three consecutive batters reached to start the inning, loading the bases and prompting a mound visit for the Bucks. Left fielder Joey Flom (Minnesota-Duluth) notched Eau Claire's first run with a station-to-station single before the team's RBI leader, McGwire Turner (Montevallo), shot a double down the right field line to clear the bases and give the Express a 4-3 lead.
The score held until the seventh inning when Eau Claire turned to the bullpen. Waterloo was able to rally against the Express relievers, posting four runs in the seventh, two runs in the eighth and six in the ninth to take the lead and then completely put the game away.
Jake Busson (Illinois-Chicago), Marcelino Alonso (Madison College), Nick Mascaro (Cal State Bakersfield) and Jackson Glueck (Pima) each notched a hit in the bottom of the eighth to score two runs and pull the Express within three runs at 9-6, but the Bucks responded loudly in the ninth to render the rally irrelevant.
The loss dropped Eau Claire to 5-9 on the season as it prepares to head north of the border for a two-game series against Thunder Bay. The Express will return to Carson Park Wednesday to take on Duluth at 6:35 p.m.
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