Vela Dominates, Express Secure Big 4-2 Win Over Waterloo
Northwoods Eau Claire Express

Vela Dominates, Express Secure Big 4-2 Win Over Waterloo

Published on June 7, 2025 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Eau Claire Express News Release


The Express needed a win in a big way, and they got it against the Bucks.

Nate Vela (Winona State) was dominant on the mound for Eau Claire and the top of the lineup built an early lead that was enough to give the Trains a huge 4-2 win over division-leading Waterloo.

Vela threw four consecutive balls to start the game to walk Bucks leadoff hitter Trey Butler, but that was as bad as he ever looked. The Greenville, Wis., native settled in to throw six innings of near-flawless ball, with his only hit of the game a single from Mack Brousseau in the fifth that was immediately erased as a perfect Express relay beat him to second as he tried to stretch it into a double. Vela finished with an impressive line of six innings, zero runs, one hit, seven strikeouts and the win.

Meanwhile, the Eau Claire offense went to work. Nearly identical plays in the first and the third scored the first two runs of the game, as McGwire Turner (Montevallo) doubled to left-center field to drive in Alex Hendrickson (St. Thomas) in each of those frames.

The Bucks notched their first run of the game in the seventh inning, but the Express answered right back. After a single and a balk put Adam Salazar (Cal State Bakersfield) on second, Hendrickson knocked a single of his own to score him. Three batters later, Marcelino Alonso (Madison College) doubled down the left field line to make it a 4-1 game.

Zach Lyles (Western Kentucky) worked as the setup man in the seventh and eighth frames, giving up just the one run to turn things over to Andres Castro (Pima) for the save opportunity.

Castro notched a strikeout for the first out of the ninth, but Waterloo threatened with the bases loaded. A deep fly ball to center fielder landed in Alonso's glove, allowing one run to score from third, but the play was not over - Alonso fired it into shortstop Joey Flom (Minnesota-Duluth) who turned and placed a perfect throw to Salazar to get the runner attempting to tag up and reach second for a game-ending double play.

The win moved Eau Claire to 5-8 on the season. Game 2 of the series will be Sunday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. as the Express look for the sweep at Carson Park.

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