WATERLOO - Looks like the Waterloo Bucks picked the wrong day to give up hitting.

Actually, they didn't have much choice, Wednesday thanks to Wisconsin right-hander Bryce Butt.

The Woodchucks' starting pitcher threw a complete-game, four-hitter and shoved Waterloo to the brink of elimination from the Northwoods League playoff hunt in a 3-1 decision before 1,291 fans at Riverfront Stadium.

Butt, an Ohio University product, dominated the Bucks' lineup, but he did it without blowing the ball by them. In fact, he struck out just two men in nine innings. Instead, Butt forced the Bucks to be aggressive early in the count by consistently throwing strikes.

Of Waterloo's 27 outs Wednesday, 20 came on ground-ball outs. Thus, Butt improved to 7-0 on the season and he owns the highest victory total in the Northwoods League.

"He's done that every single start," said Waterloo manager Pete Lauritson. "I've never seen a kid with that good of command. He does whatever he wants with the baseball. He's like a magician."

Maybe. After all, Butt made the League's best hitter disappear. Waterloo's Michael Giller went 0-for-4 against the Wisconsin starter.

Giller noted that the Bucks did a bit more damage when they faced Butt in Wausau, scoring three runs. Not Wednesday.

"It just seemed like (Butt) never threw a ball," said Giller.

He added, "He could throw any of his four pitches to any side of the plate and his stuff did something. The field is a lot faster in Wausau, so some of those ground balls we probably get through there. The other big difference was, he was just definitely more locked in today than the last time we played them."

Waterloo starter Chris Pack battled the Woodchuck lineup through eight solid innings, allowing nine hits and two runs. But the Bucks didn't collect their first hit until Pat Stover singled in the fourth.

Finally, Waterloo found some offense in the eighth, when Josh Lyon ripped a leadoff triple and scored on a Troy White single. That's where the scoring stopped, and Butt ended the rally with a soft, ground ball out.

"We can't figure (Butt) out and neither can the rest of the league," said Lauritson. "He's that good."

Conversely, the Bucks' drive for a second-half title in the South Division and a spot in the playoffs doesn't look good at all. Basically, Waterloo must win its last five games and hope that first-place Madison loses the rest of the way. And the Bucks need slumps from La Crosse and Battle Creek, the teams in second and third, respectively.

"We have to win the next five games," said Lauritson. "It's not any more complicated than that."

Added Giller, "You still come here to get better as a baseball player and to play for the Waterloo Bucks and win games. It shouldn't change, whether you're in the hunt or not."

Wisconsin ab r h bi Waterloo ab r h bi

Wright,cf 4 0 0 0 Argo,cf 3 0 0 0

Whitmore,dh 4 1 2 2 Keppler,rf 4 0 0 0

Krill,lf 5 0 3 0 Giller,ss 4 0 0 0

Long,1b 3 0 1 1 Stover,lf 4 0 2 0

Richter,rf 3 0 1 0 Hall,1b 4 0 0 0

Rihn,3b 4 0 1 0 Wager,dh 4 0 0 0

Vitale,c 3 0 0 0 Lyon,c 3 1 1 0

Fritz,ss 4 0 1 0 White,3b 3 0 1 1

Norfolk,2b 3 2 2 0 McCool,2b 3 0 0 0\

Totals 33 3 11 3 Totals 32 1 4 1

Wisconsin 000 010 011 - 3 11 2

Waterloo 000 000 010 - 1 4 0

E - Fritz (8), Norfolk (5). LOB - Wisconsin 10, Waterloo 5

2B - Krill (12), Stover (4). 3B - Lyon (1) SB - Norfolk (7), Richter (7), McCool (12). CS - Norfolk (4). SH - Vitale, Argo. SF - Long.

Pitching summary IP H R ER BB SO

Wisconsin

Butt (W, 7-0) 9 4 1 1 0 2

Waterloo

Pack (L, 2-6) 8 9 2 2 2 5

Cooper 1 2 1 1 1 1

HBP - Richter (by Pack). PB - Lyon.

U - Trey Green (plate) and Brad Kayholm. T - 2:11. Att. - 1,291