Madison, Wisc. – The Loggers put 16 runs on 18 hits at the Duck Pond. Nolan Gromacki (Missouri) earned his second win of the season. La Crosse took the 3-2 season lead with the win.
Mason McCoy (Iowa) got the game started with a leadoff double. Brock Lundquist (Long Beach State) doubled with one-out to bring in the first run of the game. After a strikeout, Jordan Zimmerman (Michigan State) singled in Lundquist to give the Loggers an early 2-0 lead.
The first four Logger batters of the inning reached on three singles and an error. That marked the end of Mallards starting pitcher, A.J. Bogucki (North Carolina). Two more runs crossed the plate (on Bogucki’s line) after Brad Boegel (Murray State) came into the game in relief.
The Loggers topped off the early stampede with another run in the 3rd and 4th innings by Chris Baker (Washington), who was hit by a pitch and came into score on a sacrifice fly.
Jesse Kay (California) came into the game in the 6th but couldn’t stop the Loggers offense. Four hits scored four more runs, adding more insurance to the large Logger lead.
Nolan Gromacki threw six scoreless innings, but Madison finally got to him in the 7th. Five hits off the starter scored four runs (two earned) made the game 13-4. Gromacki ended with 6.2 innings pitched, walking three, but striking out six.
La Crosse put up three runs late, highlighted by Jordan Zimmerman’s 5th home run of the season. Madison made a small comeback, but fell short 16-6.
The win puts La Crosse at 14-9, tied for 2nd in the South second-half. They are now two games behind the division-leading Kingfish. Their lead for the final wild card position is now seven games. The Loggers come home to face the Green Bay Bullfrogs. Game time is 6:05. Gates open at 5.
