Bucks Destroy St. Cloud, 15-1

Nothing could cool off the Waterloo Bucks' hot bats Tuesday night, not even a 48-minute rain delay in the second inning.

The Bucks collected 20 hits -- two short of matching a team record -- in a 15-1 victory over the St. Cloud Rox at Riverfront Stadium. Every player in Waterloo's starting line-up reached base multiple times and eight of the nine had multiple hits.

Jalen Smith (California-Davis) led the Bucks' offensive attack at the plate. The sophomore left fielder finished the game 2-for-3, with two RBI and three runs scored. Smith also walked three times.

Smith's performance didn't go unnoticed by Northwoods League officials. He was named "Player of the Night".

In the seven games that Waterloo (6-1) has played this season, Smith has recorded at least one hit in each of them. He currently has a .476 batting average, with three doubles, a home run and nine RBI.

The Bucks owned a 4-0 lead Tuesday night before St. Cloud got on the board. Nate Rombach blasted a solo home run for the Rox (2-3) in the fourth inning, one of only three hits they had on the night.

Waterloo got the run back in the bottom of the frame, then put the game away. The Bucks plated three runs in the fifth inning and scored four more times in the sixth. They added another run in the seventh inning and scored again twice in the eighth.

The Minnesota-Iowa pod-leading Bucks have a two-day break before they return to the field. Waterloo's next scheduled game is Friday at Mankato.