By: Ryan Hill — Public Relations
La Crosse, WI — July 15, 2013. The Madison Mallards (9-4, 30-16) return to the same field they won the Northwoods League South Division First Half championship on Monday night to take on the La Crosse Loggers (5-6, 26-20).
After punching a playoff ticket on July 3rd at Copeland Park, the Mallards have positioned themselves into the second-half lead as well. They jumped over the Lakeshore Chinooks in the second half standings by coming away with a 4-2 victory at the “Duck Pond” yesterday.
It was all Mallards after the Chinooks hit a two-run bomb in the fifth to tie the game night. Joe McCarthy (Virginia) hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning to give the Mallards a 3-2 lead and Jason Goldstein (Illinois) extended that lead with a solo shot to left in the sixth.
Cam Verbeke (Illinois State) improved to 5-1 by allowing two runs (both earned) on just four hits over five innings and closer Hunter May (UNC-Charlotte) recorded his 10th save of the season.
Looking to bounce back from a rough outing is Reilly Hovis (North Carolina), who will make his third start tonight. He allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits in 3.2 innings of work in his last start on July 5th against the Eau Claire Express. He was tagged with the loss in his other start this season on June 29th against Battle Creek. He allowed two runs (both earned) on two hits over 4.1 innings.
Not Going Down Twice in a Row
The Mallards avoided a second-straight loss yesterday in their two-run victory over Lakeshore. The last time the Mallards lost two games consecutively was June 21st and 23rd against the Chinooks, although the Mallards technically won a game in between the two. The game on June 22nd was suspended and moved to July 12th, when the Mallards won 5-4 in 21 innings. Prior to that, you would have to go all the way back to June 6th and 7th to find a stretch where the Mallards lost two in a row.
Up Next:
The Mallards close out their two-game set with the Loggers Tuesday at 7:05 pm. They will then return home to the “Duck Pond” Wednesday for a 7:05 pm game against the Green Bay Bullfrogs.
Wednesday is Oscar Mayer Bacon Appreciation Night.
The Madison Mallards are your Northwoods League South Division First Half Champions! Playoff 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 is celebrating its 20th season.
