The Waterloo baseball team ended its season with a 9-5 loss at the hands of Mississippi Valley Conference foe Highland in the Class 3A Salem Sectional on Wednesday night.

Highland scored four runs in the top of the first inning off Waterloo starting pitcher Noah Thaggard. The ‘Dogs answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, but Highland continued its offensive pressure throughout the game to emerge victorious.

Shaky defense and baserunning mistakes doomed Waterloo in the end.

Waterloo ends its season with a record of 24-13 and a share of the MVC title as well as Monday’s regional championship in Freeburg.