A five-run second inning paced the Thunder Bay Border Cats to a 6-3 win over the Waterloo Bucks in the first match-up of the season from Canada on Friday night (July 8, 2016).

The loss was the first for the Bucks (21-1, 24-14) in the second half of the season and snapped Waterloo's four-game winning streak.

For the third game in a row, the Bucks scored first. Waterloo took an early lead when Jake Hand belted his first home run of the season in second inning, putting the Bucks ahead 1-0.

The Border Cats (2-1, 8-29) built a four-run edge in the bottom of the second by plating five unearned runs, a lead they would not relinquish. The inning began when Northwoods League All-Star shortstop Andrew Frejia reached base on a Waterloo throwing error from third baseman Matt Morrow, setting the stage for a pair of RBI singles. After a pair of run-scoring singles, Shane Shepard increased Thunder Bay's lead to 5-1 with a three-run home run to right field.

Waterloo cut the Border Cats' lead to 5-3 with a pair of runs in the seventh inning. Morrow walked to begin the inning and eventually scored on Lane Milligan's double the right field line. The Bucks loaded the bases when Adam McGinnis reached first on a dropped third strike and Robert Neustrom to a walk. Waterloo scored its second run of the inning when Hand drew a bases-loaded, bringing Milligan home.

Thunder Bay scored the game's final run in the seventh.

Brett Solano (3-3) was charged with his second-straight loss for the Bucks. The right-hander allowed five unearned runs in 5.2 innings of work. He struck out seven strikeouts, matching a season-high.

UP NEXT: Waterloo concludes its five-game road trip on Saturday (July 9), again facing the Border Cats at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Ont. The Bucks return home on Sunday (July 10) for a 3:35 p.m. game against Eau Claire, the opener of a two-game series again the first-half North Division champions.

Story Contributor: Jared Schlensky - Waterloo Bucks​

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