Madison, Wis. (July 25) – Field manager Donnie Scott and the Madison Mallards (13-9, 33-24) opened up their longest road swing of the second half with a 3-2, extra-inning loss to the Lakeshore Chinooks (10-16, 27-31) Saturday night at Kapco Park. Mark Kolozsvary (Florida) drove home the game-winning run for Lakeshore with a bases-loaded walk against Mallards reliever Justin Watts (Northern Kentucky), a late effort that tagged the Mallards with their second consecutive loss.
After both teams tossed shutout frames in the top of the first, the Chinooks plated the affair’s initial run in the home half of the second courtesy of Doug Kraeger (Richmond) scoring on a wild pitch from Mallards starter Grant Spranger (Southeastern CC). Scott’s lineup promptly responded in the top of the third, an inning that saw Logan Regnier (Central Michigan) plate Bryce Carter (Stanford) on a run-scoring single that extended his hit streak to a season-long nine games.
Lakeshore reclaimed the lead soon after, however, as Jake Romano (Miami-Ohio) advanced from third base to home plate on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the third inning. Neither club proved able to manufacture a run in the subsequent five frames, though the top of the ninth saw J.J. Gould (Jacksonville) come around to score on Regnier’s second RBI single of the contest to send the game to extra-innings. Once there, the Mallards were unable to plate Jason Goldstein (Illinois) after his third walk of the night, which allowed for the Chinooks to walk-off as winners in the tenth.
Despite the outcome, the Mallards received an impressive performance on the mound from Spranger on Saturday, who tossed five strong innings in which he ceded just one earned run on three hits, one walk and a season-high seven strikeouts to lower his season ERA to 2.95 across 39.2 innings. Mike Kaelin (Buffalo) struck out the five of six batters faced in two scoreless innings of late relief, while Goldstein ran his team-best on-base percentage to .437 in going 1-for-2 with three walks against Lakeshore’s staff. Goldstein has reached base safely in nine of his last 10 plate appearances.
With the loss behind them, the Mallards will turn their attention toward Sunday’s series finale with the Chinooks, which is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. from Kapco Park. The Mallards will return to the Duck Pond next Saturday, August 1 against the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Next Saturday will feature The Diamond Center Diamond Dig post-game, ice-cream scoop giveaway as well as a free Kids Clinic from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. presented by Zimbrick-Honda. For tickets or clinic inquiries, call the Mallards Ticket Office at 608-246-4277 or visit www.MallardsBaseball.com for more information.
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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 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, 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 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.MallardsBaseball.com.
