By: Ryan Hill — Public Relations

Green Bay, WI — June 2, 2013. The Madison Mallards (2-1) hit the road for the first time today and will square off against the Green Bay Bullfrogs (2-1) at 1:05 pm at Joannes Park.

The Mallards finally saw their bats come alive Saturday night against the La Crosse Loggers, due in large part to catcher Mike Fitzgerald’s (Indiana State) breakout day at the plate. The Mallards entered the bottom of the seventh inning scoreless last night before Fitzgerald took Loggers reliever Michael Lowden (California) deep on a 2-0 fastball with two runners on and the score 1-0 in the Loggers favor. 

The Mallards scored two more in the bottom of the eighth before Fitzgerald came to the plate with the bases loaded. This time he hit a deep fly ball right over the left field fence that put the Mallards up 9-1 to solidify their second victory of the young season.

Mallards reliever Nick Smith (Western Illinois) notched the victory in the contest. He pitched the seventh inning and gave up one earned run on one hit. Lowden was saddled with the loss after giving up three earned runs on three hits in 1.2 innings of work.

Sam Forkert (Marian University) is starting on the hill today for the Mallards. He recorded the save in the team’s opening night, 4-2 victory over the Eau Claire Express by throwing 1.2 innings of hitless ball in the rain-shortened game. Forkert went 2-3 with a 4.64 ERA for the Mallards in 2012 and appeared in 21 games—including four starts—and struck out 37 in 42.2 innings. He went 4-3 with a 3.07 ERA for the Sabres this past spring. 

RBIs Galore

Fitzgerald, who hit in the No. 9 spot for the Mallards last night, catapulted himself into a tie for first place in the Northwoods League in RBIs with just two swings of the bat last night at the “Duck Pond.” His seven RBIs on the year are tied with Battle Creek’s Matt Fears (Valdosta State), who is hitting .278 (5-for-18) for the Bombers this summer. Fitzgerald’s two long balls are also tied for the lead in the league. He holds the place with Erik Payne (Wisconsin Rapids) and Aaron Gretz (Alexandria).

Another Mallard Atop the League Leaders

Mallards outfielder Tony Cheky (Michigan State) also has made a late push in the steals category to put himself into a tie atop the Northwoods League in bases swiped. Cheky stole three bases Friday evening in the 4-3 loss to the Loggers and stole a pair last night to put himself into a tie with Alexandria’s Andrew Sohn and Willmar’s Marc Flores (Hawaii). Cheky’s .455 batting average (5-for-11) also sits at a tie for second place in the league with Flores.

Up Next:

The Mallards will conclude their two-game road trip Monday with a 6:35 pm game in Green Bay before returning to the “Duck Pond” for a 7:05 pm game Tuesday against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (2-1). Tuesday night is also Maynard’s Birthday Party! Fans are encouraged to bring a toy for Maynard to donate to charity. It is also Spectrum Brands Night at the “Duck Pond.”

The 2013 season is upon us! Single-game tickets are on-sale now! 

The Madison Mallards are part of the 16-team Northwoods League. The Northwoods League has more teams, plays more game, and draws more fans than any other Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. In 2013, the Northwoods League will celebrate its 20th season.