WATERLOO - For so long this summer, the term "homestand" felt like a foreign concept to the Waterloo Bucks.

And, if Saturday is any indication, the Cedar Valley's home team still isn't quite comfortable setting up stakes at the venerable old Riverfront Stadium.

In their second true home game in a row after nearly 40 days of wandering the Upper Midwest like nomads, the Bucks were trumped, 9-3, by Green Bay.

"Without being Mr. Negative, it's extremely disappointing," noted Waterloo manager Pete Lauritson. "I want to play better in front of our home fans."

Green Bay got two hits each from Cameron Satterwhite and Ryan Cavan to trip up the Bucks on Saturday.

"We just need to play all around better baseball," noted Waterloo all-star Joey Register, whose two RBIs were the host's lone highlights. "We're just not doing the little things we need to win ballgames."

Ryan Goins briefly jolted Waterloo to life in Saturday's fifth frame. The sophomore from Dallas Baptist smacked a two-run double to the gap in right-center, knotting the score at 2-all.

Alas, the Bucks' bit of momentum proved to be short-lived.

Green Bay took a 5-2 advantage in the sixth, as University of Cincinnati slugger Cameron Satterwhite hammered a three-run homer that drilled the scoreboard in right field.

That blast proved to be the game's tipping point.

Green Bay (5-3), which possesses seven players with averages of .290 or better, tacked on four subsequent insurance runs.

"Our pitching has struggled here in the second half," sighed Waterloo's Lauritson, who used five hurlers Saturday.

Waterloo now has three days off for the Northwoods League All-Star break, before hosting Eau Claire on Wednesday and Thursday.

The break could be the cure for what ails Waterloo. At least Lauritson hopes so.

"Hopefully," said the Bucks' skipper, "when we come back we can play better in front of (the home fans)."

Contact Kelly Beaton at (319) 291-1456 or kelly.beaton@wcfcourier.com

BUCKS BANTER

REPRESENTIN': Slugger Joey Register is set to represent Waterloo in the Northwoods League's annual home run derby today at 4:30 p.m. in Madison, Wis. Register, a junior from Texas A&M, has hit a team-high eight homers this summer.

CHANNEL SURFING: The NWL's version of the mid-summer classic, to be played Monday night, will be televised live on ESPNU. First pitch in Madison is set for approximately 7:05 p.m.

PACKING THE PARK: Friday's home game - the first since floodwaters made Waterloo vacate Riverfront - drew a crowd of 4,541. That gathering was the fourth-largest in Bucks history.

Oddly enough, Waterloo set it's all-time attendance mark one year ago today, when it drew 5,122 fans for a contest against La Crosse.

Bucks Bits

Bullfrogs 9, Bucks 3

Record: Bucks 3-5 second half; 14-21 overall

Stat-leaders: Waterloo's Steven Irvine reached base in his first four at-bats.

Game-changer: Green Bay's Cam Satterwhite clubbed a key, three-run homer.

Due up: Four Bucks will play in the NWL's all-star game, Monday at 7:05 p.m.

Green Bay ab r h bi Waterloo ab r h bi

Tanaka,lf 3 0 0 0 Irvine,3b 0 2 0 0

Prince,ss 1 1 0 0 Resnick,2b 3 0 0 0

Gale,ph 3 1 2 0 Goins,ss 4 0 1 1

Cavan,2b 5 2 2 1 Register,rf 4 0 1 2

O'Shea,c 5 1 1 1 Z.Jones,c 1 0 1 0

Karcich,3b 4 1 1 0 Sofranec,cf 4 0 0 0

Satterwhite,rf 4 1 2 3 Campbell,lf 4 0 1 0

Casey,1b 2 0 0 0 Giller,1b 4 0 1 0

Hedman,ph 2 0 1 2 Lang,dh 3 1 0 0

Hayes,dh 3 0 1 0 Sackett,c 0 0 0 0

Holt,cf 3 0 1 0 Gaylord,ph 1 0 0 0

Bell,ph 0 0 0 0 Goins,ss 5 0 1 0

Cheney,ph 1 0 1 0

Goeman,ph 1 0 0 0

Totals 36 9 12 6 Totals 28 3 7 3

Green Bay 100 013 220 - 9 12 0

Waterloo 000 020 100 - 3 7 2

E - Giller, Irvine. LOB - Green Bay 12, Waterloo 9.

DP - Green Bay 1, Waterloo 2. 2B - Cavan, O'Shea, Hedman; Goins

HR - Satterwhite. SB - Prince, Cavan, Holt. SH - Resnick, Campbell.

Pitching summary

Waterloo IP H R ER BB SO

J. Jones 5.0 5 2 1 3 2

Macek (L, 1-1) 1.0 3 3 3 1 1

Nix 1.0 1 2 2 2 2

Lackovic 1.0 2 2 2 1 2

Goins 1.0 1 0 0 0 0

Green Bay IP H R ER BB SO

Dovel 4.0 3 0 0 5 3

Blauer (W, 4-0) 2.0 1 2 2 3 2

Necke 2.0 3 1 1 1 0

Pearl 1.0

T - 3:31. Att. - 2,522.

WP - Macek. HBP - Irvine.