By: Ryan Hill — Public Relations
Madison, WI — June 12, 2013. The Madison Mallards (7-6) return home after going 3-1 in a four-game road stand to square off against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (5-9).
The Mallards emerged victorious on June 4th against the Rafters by a score of 14-6 and won again the next day in Wisconsin Rapids by a score of 4-2.
The Mallards nearly had a perfect road trip but fell 2-1 to the Lakeshore Chinooks Tuesday night. The Mallards left a runner on third base in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings last night and got the leadoff runner on in the ninth, but Chinooks reliever Jace Chancellor (Lubbock Christian) closed out the game to record his fourth save in just one week.
The Mallards entered the eighth down 2-0 but nearly had a huge inning. A Chinooks error scored a run and put runners on second and third with one out, but Chinooks reliever Donnie Hissa (Notre Dame) got out of the jam by striking out Tate Matheny (Missouri State) and forcing Drew Weeks (North Florida) to fly out to right.
Mallards starter Luke Staub (George Washington) was nearly flawless but dropped to 0-2. He allowed two runs—one earned—and surrendered just five hits. He also struck out six batters.
The Mallards will be sending Cody Peterson (Madison College) to the mound tonight. Peterson, a 6’5,” 185-pound sophomore, will be making his first start for the Mallards and second appearance overall. He pitched an inning of relief on June 9th in the Mallards 9-1 win over the Eau Claire Express and allowed a hit and a walk but didn’t allow a run. He went 5-4 with an ERA of just 1.91 this past spring with the Wolfpack.
Peterson will be squaring off against Justin Peters (Texas), who was originally on a temporary contract earlier this year with the Mallards and made three appearances, all of which were in relief. In 6.1 innings pitched with the Mallards, Peters allowed three earned runs on three hits and had an ERA of 4.26.
Finding a Way to Get On
The Mallards currently lead the Northwoods League in on-base percentage, and by a considerable margin. The Mallards are tied for the league lead in hit by pitches (21) and walks (69) to give them a .011 lead in the on-base percentage category. Their mark of .379 beats out second-place Willmar’s .368 clip.
Holding ‘Em Hitless
The Mallards pitching staff has held opposing hitters to the fewest amount of hits so far this season, also by a sizeable margin. They have allowed only 78 hits—good for a .188 opponent batting average—in their 113 innings pitched. The Waterloo Bucks have the second fewest with 94 and have a .217 opponent batting average.
Up Next:
The Mallards will take on the Rafters tomorrow in Wisconsin Rapids at 7:05 pm and will then travel to Green Bay for a 7:05 pm start on Friday. The Mallards head back to the “Duck Pond” Saturday for a 6:05 pm game against the Bullfrogs. The Dentistry for Madison Turn Back the Clock Night with Dr. Jay Hazen will take place that night. Their will also be a Muskies Hat Giveaway and Budweiser will provide post-game fireworks.
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 games, and draws more fans than any other Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. In 2013, the Northwoods League will celebrate its 20th season.
