WATERLOO -- Injuries, a major flood and a month on the road could have defeated the 2008 Waterloo Bucks.

But instead of packing their bags early, the Bucks stayed the course and Monday completed their summer journey.

It wasn't the destination Waterloo had hoped for, but it was far better than most imagined a month ago.

Josh Rickards combined with two relievers to fire a three-hitter as the Bucks closed out their Northwoods League season with a 3-0 victory over the playoff-bound Mankato Moondogs in front of a Riverfront Stadium jammed end-to-end with 4,236 fans.

The victory clinched Waterloo's first winning half since 2004 as the Bucks battled for the second-half South Division title down the stretch before being eliminated Saturday.

"The team chemistry was probably the best I've ever played with," said Rickards, a senior to be at Marist College. "This was a great group of guys who enjoyed the game. I can't tell you the last time I really enjoyed the game like this."

Rickards (5-4) was nicked for two hits in the first inning, including a leadoff single to Bobby Munoz. But he promptly picked Munoz off first and allowed just two more Moondog baserunners, both of whom were erased by Bucks double plays.

"That is the way our pitching staff has been -- dominant down the stretch. They've carried us," said Bucks' manager Pete Lauritson. "It's why we have a winning record.

"Josh was dominating, and then we turned it over to Jones (James) and Lackovic (Bob) and that has been the winning formula."

Waterloo got the only run it needed in the fourth as James Jones, voted the 2008 fans' Player of the Year, reached on an error and advanced to third with a steal and a wild pitch. With two outs, Taylor Lang laced a two-strike pitch through the box to plate Jones.

The Bucks got two more in the eighth as Michael Giller led off with a triple and scored on an error. Jones walked and later scored on a wild pitch.

Lackovac worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth to earn his 13th save.

"You couldn't ask for a better way to go out," Rickards said. "I know we were out of it, but we were just ready to play … and excited about it."

Lauritson admired how his team stuck with it and played its best baseball at the end after a trying first half of the season.

"As a manager of this team, I'm really proud of the way we played the last two weeks," Lauritson said. "We weren't given a lot of credit. A lot of people didn't think we were very good.

"But to go 18-16 in the Northwoods League, I don't care what … in this league that's tough to do."

Lauritson plans on returning next year, reversing a trend of managers who have coached one season at Waterloo and left.

"I'll be back," Lauritson said. "I love this league. I love everything about this league, the developmental part, the team competitiveness and next year we are going to get a group of guys and like every year it will be our goal to get to the playoffs."

ALL-STAR BUCK -- The Northwoods League announced its postseason all-star squad, and Waterloo is represented by Texas A&M's Joey Register. An early season addition to the roster, Register batted .259 with a team-best 32 runs batted in and led the NWL with 10 home runs.

Contact Jim Nelson at (319) 291-11521 or jim.nelson@wcfcourier.com

Mankato ab h h bi Waterloo ab r h bi

Munoz,ss 4 0 1 0 Giller,ss 4 1 1 0

Rockett,cf 4 0 0 0 Campbell,lf 4 0 0 0

Harrilchak,lf 3 0 1 0 JJones,1b 3 2 0 0

Freie,3b 3 0 0 0 Sofranac,cf 4 0 0 0

Knudson,1b 2 0 0 0 ZJones,c 1 0 0 0

Kvasnicka,c 2 0 0 0 Lang,rf 4 0 2 1

Belanger,dh 3 0 0 0 Gaylord,dh 3 0 0 0

Krill,rf 2 0 1 0 Register,1b 0 0 0 0

Via,2b 3 0 0 0 Resnick,2b 1 0 0 0

Barnhill,3b 3 0 0 0

Totals 24 0 3 0 Totals 27 3 4 1

Mankato 000 000 000 " 0 3 2

Waterloo 000 100 02x " 3 4 0

E " Munoz (28), Knudson (3). DP " Mankato 1. Waterloo 2. LOB " Mankato 2, Waterloo 5.

3B " Giller (2). SB " Resnick (13), J. Jones 2 (9) Z. Jones (7). CS " Munoz.

Pitching summary IP H R ER BB SO

Waterloo

Rickards (W,5-4) 7.1 3 0 0 1 6

J.Jones 0.2 0 0 0 0 1

Lackovic (S,13) 1.0 0 0 0 1 0

Mankato

Smith (L,3-3) 7.0 2 1 0 3 5

Demmin 1.0 1 2 1 2 1

WP " Smith, Demmin. HBP " By Smith (Z. Jones).

U " Black (plate), Adams (bases). Att. " 4,236. T " 2:08.