Two hours and twelve minutes was all it took for the Mallards to dispatch of the Loggers Thursday night at Warner Park. Ricky Bauer threw seven and two thirds innings of nearly perfect baseball to lead the first place Ducks over the Loggers, 3-0. Bauer surrendered only one hit and walked no one while striking out five Loggers.

Not to be lost in the performance of Bauer, newcomer Mike Dury bombed a 3-1 changeup over the center field fence off previously undefeated Adam Rogers, giving the Ducks a 2-0 lead. Dury?s blast proved to be all the offense Madison needed as Bauer mowed through the La Crosse lineup. The switch-hitter from Notre Dame also scored an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to put the Mallards on top 3-0.

Matt Petty struck out the final batter in the eighth inning and D.J. Roshone worked a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save. Jay Johnson, Doug Beck, and Jared Johnson each collected two hits for the victorious Mallards. Jay Johnson also stole two bases and scored off Dury?s second inning blast.

The Mallards (3-0, 21-13) travel to Mankato to play a doubleheader tomorrow night and play again Saturday night. The Mallards return home Sunday to take on the Loggers again in a brief two-game homestand. Tickets for all Mallards games are available online at www.mallardsbaseball.com, and at our office located at 2920 N. Sherman Ave.