One of the worst weeks in Madison Mallards history was extended Saturday night at the Duck Pond as the Mallards lost to the Duluth Huskies, 8-5.
After committing four errors in the Friday game against Duluth, Madison made three errors Saturday and never had a lead in the game. The Huskies scored in every inning but the second, seventh and ninth.
Duluth scored in the first inning as leadoff man Robbie Price was hit by a pitch. Joey Bonadonna followed with a walk. A sacrifice by Nick Sullivan put runners at second and third with one out. Huskies’ catcher Spencer Ingaldson grounded out to second to score Price and give the Huskies a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
In the third, the Huskies added another run. Kevin Hansen walked and then moved to second on an error by Madison first baseman Randy Molina during a pickoff attempt. Sullivan laced a two-out single to score Hansen and give the Huskies a 2-0 lead.
The Huskies added another run in the fourth as the first two men to come to the plate reached base. Brock Simpson singled and Tim Poydenis walked. Simpson stole third to put runners at the corners. Dane Embury flew out to right to score Simpson and give the Huskies a 3-0 lead.
In the fifth, Sullivan was hit by a pitch with one out. Spencer Ingaldson’s double moved Sullivan to third. After Ingaldson’s double, Jeff Wilkerson relieved Mallards starter Jake Sullivan (above left). Simpson walked to load the bases. Then, Poydenis was hit by a pitch to force a run home. Embury hit another sacrifice fly, this time to center field, to score Ingaldson and give the Huskies a 5-0 lead.
In the sixth, Hansen led off with a walk against Wilkerson. After Price struck out, Bonadonna singled. With two outs, Ingaldson singled down the left field line to score Hansen. Mallards’ left fielder Jordan Wolf bobbled the ball in foul territory to allow Bonadonna to score and make the score 7-0.
The Mallards finally jumped into the scoring in the seventh inning. Mitch Saum reached on an error by Duluth’s shortstop, Hansen. Spencer Steedley and Jordan Wolf hit back-to-back singles to load the bases. Randy Molina then struck out. Catcher Kris Rochelle hit a grounder to shortstop that forced Wolf at second but allowed Saum to score. A wild pitch allowed Steedley to score from third. Blaine Rutledge hit a two-out double to score Rochelle and make the score 7-3.
The Huskies bit right back against Mallards reliever Eddie Burns. Sullivan tripled with one out and scored on a throwing error by Madison shortstop Mike Rohde to give Duluth it’s eighth run.
The Mallards scratched for a couple more in the ninth. Molina doubled. With one out, Rutledge’s single scored Molina. On the throw home, Rutledge took second base. Jordan Comadena flew out to right to advance Rutledge to third and he scored when Bobby Hubbard’s grounder to shortstop was booted. The Mallards could get no more, however, and lost for the sixth straight time, 8-5.
Not only did the Mallards commit three errors, but the pitchers hit four Duluth batters. Sullivan was tagged with his first loss of the season. Saum and Rutledge were the hitting stars for Madison: both went 2-4.
The fans were entertained beyond the late-inning excitement. The outfield was packed as fathers and their children took the field for Summit Credit Union Play More Catch With Dad Night (below right). In honor of fathers? day, each father was given a baseball for playing catch with his child or children on the Duck Pond outfield. Fireworks followed as part of the Life Style Staffing Post-game Fireworks Show series (below left).
The Mallards begin a four game road trip Sunday at St. Cloud. First pitch against the River Bats is 3:05 p.m. You’ll hear the game on Madison’s Fox Sports Radio, 100.5 FM or www.mallardsradio.com.
The Mallards? next home game is June 22 against the St. Cloud River Bats. Single-game and group tickets for the contest are still on sale! Order yours now by logging on to www.mallardsbaseball.com or calling the Mallards ticket office at 608.246.4277.
