Madison, WI – July 4, 2014. The Madison Mallards (2-0, 20-15) continue their five game homestand today at the “Duck Pond” against the Battle Creek Bombers (1-1, 17-20) in a doubleheader starting at 12:30 pm.
Game two will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one, and game one is a re-start of the postponed game from June 19th. Game one is a full nine innings, while game two will go seven innings.
On the mound for game one is righty Christian Taugner (Brown). Taugner is 1-1 on the year with a 2.84 ERA in six starts. The Roselle, Illinois native tossed five innings in his last start, letting up two earned runs on six hits while striking out one in a 3-1 loss to the Lakeshore Chinooks.
He will face Bombers starter Dillion Engle, a 5’9”, 182-pound southpaw from the College of Lake County. Engle holds a 2.91 ERA in 12.1 innings of work, having given up four earned runs on ten hits this season. He has yet to start a game for the Bombers this year, and in his last appearance, Engle tossed three innings in relief, letting up four runs on five hits while striking out four against the Lakeshore Chinooks.
In game two, Mallards lefty Rob McDonnell (Illinois) gets the call against Michigan State hurler Dakota Meekes.
McDonnell is 3-1 on the year with a 3.32 ERA in 24.1 innings pitched. In his last start, McDonnell gave up six runs on five hits in two innings of work. He will look to rebound this afternoon against Meekes, a 6’6”, 220-pound freshman out of Jenison, Michigan.
Meekes holds a 0.84 ERA in eight appearances and four starts with 30 strikeouts and 19 walks. In his last start, Meekes went seven full innings, giving up one run and striking out three in a 15-1 win over the La Crosse Loggers.
Last night, the Mallards took down the Kalamazoo Growlers (0-2, 13-24) by a score of 6-3, scoring four runs in the fourth inning and adding two in the seventh.
Designated hitter Austin Barr (Stanford) hit a two run home run in the fourth and right fielder Connor Marabell (Jacksonville) would follow later in the inning with a two RBI single.
Third baseman Tony Butler (Virginia) would add a two RBI single in the seventh to go up 6-3.
Closer Tim Black came on in the eighth inning with one out and retired all five batters he faced to receive his tenth save of the year.
Mallards starter Tyler Buffett (Oklahoma State) tossed five innings, giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out three in the win.
The Mallards wrap up their four day, five game home stand at the “Duck Pond” tomorrow against the Bombers at 4:35 pm.
Saturday is Northside Independence Day: A Family Celebration. There will be post-Game Fireworks and entertainment provided by the Hometown Sweethearts and the Madison Music Foundry sponsored by Budweiser. Tomorrow night also features a Schoep's Ice Cream Scoop Giveaway and a Bucky Book Giveaway to the first 1,000 Fans.
Mallards single game tickets are on-sale now. To purchase tickets, log on to MallardsBaseball.com, call 608-246-4277, or stop by the Mallards ticket office.
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The Madison Mallards are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit MallardsBaseball.com.
