Madison, WI – June 15, 2014. Late inning heroics by the Wisconsin Woodchucks (11-7) were responsible for their 5-3 win today at the “Duck Pond” against the Madison Mallards (12-7). The Woodchucks were down 3-2 with two outs in the ninth, but three singles in a row and a double capped off an inning where the Woodchucks scored three runs. The Mallards could do little in the bottom of the 9th against reliever John Oltman (Creighton), who closed out the club retiring three of the four batters he faced.
Mallards reliever Ben Neumann (Northern Illinois) received the loss in a heartbreaking affair after striking out two straight batters in the ninth to put the Mallards on the brink of their 13th win. He pitched 2.1 innings, giving up three runs on three hits while striking out two.
Starter Christian Taugner (Brown), who retired the first five batters he saw in today’s game, would go on to pitch 6.1 innings in his fourth start, giving up two runs on five hits and striking out five.
The Mallards were led offensively by designated hitter Pete Alonso (Florida) and right fielder Brian Rodemoyer (Illinois State). Alonso was 3-for-3 with one home run, two singles and one RBI. His 371-foot solo shot to lead off the 4th inning was his second home run in the past two games. After today, he leads the Mallards with a .400 batting average.
Rodemoyer went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI. He drove in Alonso in the second inning and was superb defensively in right field, recording three putouts with the wind swirling around the “Duck Pond.”
The Mallards travel to the Kapco Park in Mequon tomorrow to play the Lakeshore Chinooks (11-7) in a doubleheader. Game one is scheduled for 4:05 pm, and game two will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Each game will be seven innings.
The team returns home on June 17 to start a three game home stand against the Chinooks at 7:05 pm. Tuesday night is Superhero Night where kids 12 and under in costume get a free standing room only ticket. It is also Rayovac Night with a Rayovac Giveaway.
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.
