The Waterloo Bucks crushed Rochester and reached a club milestone with the victory at Riverfront Stadium Friday night (July 14, 2017).

The Bucks (29-17, 5-5) earned their 800th all-time win with an 18-4 decision over the Honkers. Waterloo improved its overall franchise record to 800-729 while putting up a season-high 18 runs and finishing with 17 hits. The 800 victories, which include 10 playoff wins, are the second-most by any team in Northwoods League history.

With the victory, the Bucks also regained sole-possession of first-place in the North Division's overall standings. They own a one-game lead over second-place St. Cloud, which won the first half-season race.

Deion Thompson's double in the bottom of the second inning put Waterloo ahead 1-0, but Rochester (22-22, 6-3) answered right back. The Honkers took advantage of two Bucks' errors and scored four unearned runs to build a 4-1 advantage.

Waterloo responded with 17 unanswered runs. The Bucks scored six -- all with two out -- in the bottom of third inning, a frame highlighted by Zach Malis' RBI double and Thompson' three-run home run. The outburst put Waterloo ahead 7-4.

The Bucks increased their lead to 9-4 in the sixth inning and expanded it to 11-4 in the seventh, scoring a pair of runs on a single by Grant Hawkins. Waterloo then added seven more runs in the eighth. Doubles by Joe Genord, Drew Greenwood and Hawkins each brought a pair of base-runners home and the Bucks also scored one on a sacrifice fly by Malis.

Zachary McLeod (1-1) earned the victory for Waterloo in his second start of the season. He registered four strikeouts before leaving the game with one in the fifth inning. Three relief pitchers -- Brandon Downey, Tyler Booth and Nathan Walker -- limited Rochester to just one hit over the remainder of the game.

UP NEXT: The Bucks play a two-game series at Mankato ahead of next week's All-Star break. The series begins at 6:05 p.m. Saturday (July 15), when Waterloo faces the MoonDogs at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato, Minn.

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