Genord’s Hot Bat Leads Bucks To Victory At Duluth

Joe Genord's hot bat carried the Waterloo Bucks to a 12-7 victory at Duluth Friday night (June 23, 2017). The University of South Florida junior belted three home runs, drove-in seven teammates and scored four times while going 4-for-5 at the plate.

The win snapped Waterloo's three-game losing streak.

Genord's monster night started in the first inning after the Bucks (17-7) scored a run on a ground out. His towering, three-run blast over the left field wall gave Waterloo an early 4-0 lead.

Duluth (13-11) got a run back in the bottom of the frame, and the score remained 4-1 through three innings.

Genord led off the fourth inning with another home run in his second at-bat. The solo shot was part of a two-run frame that built the Bucks' edge to 6-1. Duluth, however, scored three runs in the bottom of the frame to cut the deficit to two.

John Cable's run-scoring single to right field increased the Waterloo's lead to 7-4 in the fifth inning.

The Huskies stayed within striking distance all night. They scored single runs in each of the next three innings, tying the game at 7-7 in the seventh inning. The momentum shifted in their favor in the top of the frame when Duluth turned a triple play against the Bucks, catching Jay Schuyler's line drive during a hit-and-run attempt.

Waterloo took control of the game for good in the eighth inning. Genord started off the frame with his third home run of the night -- another solo shot to left field -- and Ian Nelson dropped a two-run double down the line, making the score 9-7.

The Bucks increased their lead when they plated three additional runs in the ninth inning. Genord led the offensive attack again, driving in two with a double down the third base line. Keaton Presley also connected for an RBI single.

UP NEXT: The Bucks face the Huskies again on Saturday (June 24) at Wade Stadium in Duluth, Minn.

Story Contributor: Danny Frey - Waterloo Bucks