Eau Claire, WI – July 31, 2008. Eau Claire’s Chris Odegaard stymied the Mallards Thursday night, pitching a complete game two-hit gem to lead the Express to a 9-0 victory. The loss was the 11th in the last 12 games for the Mallards, who now have an 8-17 record in the second half. Odegaard allowed just a second-inning single by Phil Gosselin (Virginia) and a ninth-inning single by Aaron Bray (Charlotte) and walked three Mallards. Madison starter Brandon Johnson (Western Carolina) matched Odegaard in his five innings of work, allowing just two base hits and striking out four.

The game was scoreless until Johnson exited in the bottom of the sixth, when Eau Claire scored two runs on three hits off new Mallards hurler Brad Lusti (UW-Milwaukee), making his team debut. They added a couple more in the bottom of the seventh against Brant Combs (Missouri State), thanks in part to a costly throwing error by Eric Nielsen (Purdue) behind the dish.

Odegaard faced the minimum in the top of the eighth, getting Luke Stewart (UAB) to groundout before walking Don Lambert (Baylor). Joe Bonadonna (Illinois) reached on a fielder’s choice that put out Lambert at second, but was cut down trying to steal for the third out of the inning.

Any hope of a Mallards rally was dashed in the bottom of the eighth, when the Express scored five runs on four hits off Travis High (NC State) to bring their run tally to nine. Odegaard came back out for the top of the ninth to try for the complete game and gave up the second Mallards hit of the night, a single to shortstop by Bray to lead off the inning. Odegaard then walked Brandon Wikoff (Illinois) and Rob Lyerly (Charlotte) to load the bases with no outs, but got Gosselin to strike out swinging and Trent Soares (Fresno State) to hit into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play to preserve the shutout and the victory.

The two teams head to Madison for the first of two games tomorrow night at 7:05. It is Covance “80s Night” at the “Duck Pond!” Come out for a chance to meet actor Gary Coleman! The first 1,000 fans will also receive Mallards slinkys, courtesy of Covance.