By: Ryan Hill — Public Relations
La Crosse, WI — July 15, 2013. The La Crosse Loggers (5-7, 26-21) pulled within two in the seventh but the Madison Mallards (10-4, 31-16) responded by scoring seven runs over the last two innings to help come away with a 11-2 road victory.
Mallards starter Reilly Hovis (North Carolina) pitched six shutout innings, but reliever Kristian Calibuso (Eastern Michigan) ran into some trouble in the seventh after the Loggers put their leadoff man on from a Mallards error.
After a single and a wild pitch, Kevin Zak (Grand Valley State) looped a single to right field that pulled the Loggers within two. Both runs were unearned.
The floodgates then opened for the Mallards. Jeff Zahn (Indiana State) scored Brock Stewart (Illinois State) on a sacrifice fly and John LaPrise (Virginia) knocked home two more on a double to right center four batters later in the eighth.
Stewart kept things going in the ninth with an RBI double before Zahn pounded a three-run shot to right off of Loggers reliever Nick Piscotty (Duke) to cap off the night.
The Mallards wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard in the first. LaPrise singled to lead off the game and came around to score just one batter later after Mike Reuvekamp (California) singled on a hit-and-run and a Loggers error.
The three other Mallards runs came in the third and fifth innings. Joe McCarthy (Virginia) and Drew Weeks (North Florida) recorded RBIs in the third while McCarthy tacked on another RBI with a single that scored LaPrise in the fifth.
Hovis allowed only three hits in his first victory in a Mallards uniform. He walked four and struck out three. Calibuso allowed two runs (both unearned) on two hits and struck out three while walking only one in his two innings of work. Jack Livingston (Northwestern) came on in the ninth and allowed two infield singles but allowed no runs.
LaPrise extended his hitting streak to 11 games on the night and finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored. McCarthy finished 1-for-3 and now has 15 RBIs over his last 10 games. Zahn’s homer in the ninth was his second of the season and the first baseman finished 1-for-4 with four RBIs.
Zak was the lone bright spot offensively for the Loggers. The designated hitter finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.
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.
