Battle Creek, MI – August 11, 2008. The Mallards could not capitalize on a complete game six-hit effort by Jeff Zielke (UW-Stevens Point) and dropped the regular season finale to the Battle Creek Bombers 2-1. Zielke, making his team debut, worked eight solid innings and allowed just two runs. He struck out six and walked just one batter. Seven Bombers pitchers allowed one run on four hits for the Mallards, who wrap up the regular season with a 34-34 overall record and were 12-23 in the second half. The Mallards could not take advantage of five Bombers errors and left 13 runners on base in the game.
Shaun Wegner (UW-Milwaukee) started behind the plate for the Mallards and had one hit in four at-bats. Drew Martin (NC State), Joe Bonadonna (Illinois) and Aaron Bray (Charlotte) each had a hit to account for the rest of the offense for Madison. Tillman Pugh was 2-for-3 for the Bombers and also scored a run.
Battle Creek scored a run in the bottom of the third to take an early 1-0 lead. Pugh doubled to center field with one away and then stole third, allowing him to come home on a groundout to second by Nick Hoover.
In the top of the fourth, the Mallards looked like they were going to put up a crooked number after loading the bases with two hit batters and a walk with nobody out. Bonadonna singled to left field, scoring Luke Stewart (UAB) to tie the game at one. But Kurt Wunderlich got the next two batters to fly out to left to strand three Mallards runners and keep the game tied.
Pugh again got things started for the Bombers in the sixth, singling to start the inning and again stealing a base. However, he was then caught trying to steal third and Dusty Harvard followed with a double to left field. Harvard came around to score on a single by David Luna to put the Bombers back on top 2-1 after six innings.
That was all the scoring on the night, as the last three Mallards at-bats went by with little fanfare. The bases again were left loaded in the top of the seventh and another runner was stranded in the eighth. Bryce Morrow earned the win for the Bombers and moves to 1-6 on the season.
With the regular season concluded, the Mallards will travel to Wausau tomorrow night for a 6:35 matchup against the Wisconsin Woodchucks to begin the playoffs. The two teams will then head to Madison for game two of the series Wednesday night at 7:05. If necessary, the decisive game three will be in Wausau on Thursday night. Alex Rivers (Santa Clara) will get the game ball for game one and will look to get the Mallards off on the right foot.
