MADISON, Wis. — The Kenosha Kingfish got the win they needed early, then ran into a Madison Mallards avalanche late.

Kenosha split Thursday’s doubleheader at Warner Park, taking the opener 7-4 before falling 14-3 in the nightcap. The split moved the Kingfish to 31-21 overall and 10-7 in the second half, while Madison moved to 32-33 overall and 8-12 in the second half. Kenosha also officially matched its win total from each of the last two seasons, when the Kingfish finished with 31 victories in both years.

The Game 2 loss snapped Kenosha’s six-game winning streak, but the ’Fish still head back to Simmons Field having won eight of their last 10 games.

GAME ONE: Kenosha 7, Madison 4

Kenosha came out swinging in the opener and immediately put pressure on Madison starter Kyler Kaczmarski.

Brian Gould opened the game with a walk, stole second and came around to score when Hunter Snyder ripped a double to center. Jackson Brewer, who had also walked earlier in the inning, scored on a Gus Gregory single, and Snyder later came home as part of a three-run first that gave Kenosha an immediate 3-0 lead.

Madison answered right back in the bottom half against Kyle Hirsch. The Mallards pieced together three runs on three hits, tying the game at 3-3 and forcing Kenosha to reset after its fast start.

The Kingfish did exactly that in the third.

Snyder worked a one-out walk, Matthew Cormier was hit by a pitch, and Cole Ide delivered the biggest swing of the opener. Ide launched a three-run homer near right field, his fifth home run of the summer, to put Kenosha back in front 6-3.

Madison cut the deficit to 6-4 in the fourth, but from there the Kingfish bullpen completely changed the game. Sam Yoder entered and turned in one of the most important relief appearances of the day, throwing 4.2 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. Yoder struck out four and kept Madison from building any sort of comeback after the fourth.

Kenosha added insurance in the seventh when Brewer blasted a solo homer, his fourth of the season, to make it 7-4. Hayden George then handled the ninth, striking out two in a clean inning to earn his first save of the summer.

Hirsch earned the win, improving to 1-0, while the Kingfish offense finished with six hits, two home runs and seven RBIs. Ide drove in three, Brewer homered and scored twice, Snyder doubled, scored twice and drove in a run, and Gould stole three bases in the opener.

GAME TWO: Madison 14, Kenosha 3

The nightcap went the other direction quickly.

Madison struck first in the second inning when Aiden Arnett walked, Davis Hamilton was hit by a pitch, and Jack Bello Jr. hit a three-run homer near left field to give the Mallards a 3-0 lead.

The score stayed there until the fifth, when Madison broke the game open with an eight-run inning. Arnett started the damage with a solo homer, Bello Jr. continued his huge night with another hit, and Nate Novinska delivered the biggest blow with a home run as part of the Mallards’ crooked number. By the time the inning ended, Madison had stretched the lead to 11-0.

The Mallards added three more in the seventh on Novinska’s second homer of the game, pushing the lead to 14-0. Novinska finished 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs, while Bello Jr. went 3-for-3 with a homer, three RBIs and three runs scored. Arnett also had a strong night, going 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs.

Kenosha’s offense did not break through until the eighth. Noah Alvarez singled, Bennett Shealor followed with a base hit, and the Kingfish scored twice in the inning on run-scoring plays from Cole Ide and Gregory. The ’Fish added one more in the ninth when Gould singled, Alvarez picked up another hit and Snyder drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Alvarez was the bright spot offensively in Game 2, finishing 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored. The Kingfish had eight hits, but left 12 runners on base.

The lopsided score forced Kenosha to use position players on the mound late. James Harrington worked two innings, and Ezra Essex provided one of the more unusual bright spots of the night by throwing a scoreless eighth on just eight pitches.

Madison finished the second game with 16 hits and four home runs, handing Kenosha its first loss since July 15 at Waterloo.

Kenosha now returns home to open a two-game series against the Kalamazoo Growlers and begin a four-game homestand Friday night at Historic Simmons Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CT on Elvis Night.

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