Madison, WI – July 17, 2014. After a two game sweep of the Green Bay Bullfrogs, the Madison Mallards (10-5, 28-20) return home to the “Duck Pond” to face the Willmar Stingers (9-6, 31-14) in a doubleheader beginning at 4:30 pm. Games one and two will be seven innings each, and gates open at 4:00 pm for game one.
On the mound for game one of the twinbill is Mallards southpaw Rob McDonnell (Illinois). McDonnell holds a respectable 3.31 ERA in 35.1 innings of work and is tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 31. He carries a 4-2 record in his eight appearances, and in his last start McDonnell tossed six complete innings, giving up three runs on four hits while striking out five in a 3-1 loss to the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.
He will face Stingers starter A.J. Puckett, a 6’4”, 185-pound freshman out of Pepperdine University. The righty has appeared in five games for the Stingers and holds a 2.41 ERA with 19 strikeouts and eight walks in 18.1 innings of work.
His last start he pitched five innings, giving up two runs on six hits in a 8-5 loss to the St. Cloud Rox.
In game two, Mallards starter and Northwoods League All-Star Sterling Sharp (Eastern Michigan) is slated to square off against Stingers hurler Brady Anderson (Florida Gulf Coast). Sharp has started eight games for the Mallards this summer and holds a 3.16 ERA with 30 strikeouts. He pitched 2.2 innings in his last start, allowing two earned runs on three hits in a 6-5 loss to the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.
Anderson, a 6’0”, 180-pound righty is 3-2 on the year in five starts and holds a 1.89 ERA. His last appearance, he tossed one scoreless inning, earning a save against the Waterloo Bucks in a 5-3 victory.
Last night, Mallards first baseman and Northwoods League All-Star Pete Alonso (Florida) hit a two run shot in the seventh inning to help the Mallards over the Bullfrogs by a score of 6-3.
Alonso’s home run broke a 3-3 tie to put the Mallards up 5-3. He finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run. Center fielder Alex Bacon (North Florida) added another run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 6-3.
Mallards left fielder Tyler Allen (Virginia) and third baseman Tony Butler (Virginia) both had one RBI in the fourth inning to aid the Mallards offensive effort.
Northwoods League All-Star pitcher Christian Taugner (Brown) went 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out two for the Mallards. The win went to Mallards reliever Nate Hoffmann (Madison College), who tossed one scoreless inning in relief to receive his first win of the year.
Mallards closer and Northwoods League All-Star Tim Black (Central Michigan) came on in the ninth and recorded his Northwoods League leading 15th save of the year.
The Mallards now sit in second place, one game behind the Lakeshore Chinooks in the second half Northwoods League South Division Standings.
The Mallards stay to the “Duck Pond” tomorrow to play a doubleheader against the Stingers at 4:30 pm. Friday is Karate Night with a Pepsi Kung Fu Maynard Bobblehead Giveaway. It is also Dashelito's Hot Sauce Appreciation Night.
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.
