Madison, WI – June 10, 2016. After scoring four runs on just five hits in the first few innings, the Mallards bats went quiet, conceding the lead that they held for the majority of this ballgame. Three of their four runs in the early stage of the game came on bases loaded walks, with an RBI groundout by AJ Montoya (Toledo) in the fourth giving them an even four runs on the game. A Matt McCann single in the 9th inning would be the Mallards first hit since the 3rd.
After giving up a four run lead in the middle innings, the game paused with two outs in the bottom of the 8th thanks to lightning in the area. The delay lasted approximately 80 minutes. After a quiet 9th inning, walks and wild pitches allowed the Chinooks to take the lead. The 4-5-6 hitters were due up in the bottom half for the Mallards, and Lucas Halstead (Pacific) was leading off. He stepped into the box after striking out three times earlier in the game, but was able to connect on a Zach Reeg (Augustana) 1-0 pitch and drive it over the right field fence to tie the game.
The Chinooks, a team that only hit .199 with a single home run entering tonight, were able to build a lead in the 11th that was too large for Madison to fight back from. Choase Hoag (Fresno State) was able to strike out Royce Ando (Michigan State) on three pitches, but hit Joe Duncan (Illinois) with a pitch, setting up a duel with designated hitter Matt Johnson (South Dakota State). Johnson won the battle, sending a 3-1 fastball for a deep go-ahead home run. They would tack on one more and never look back, eventually beating Madison 8-5.
Defense and hitting were the areas of concern in this game, as the Mallards recorded three errors in the loss; two of the three base runners coming around to score. The Mallards also failed to record a base hit between the 4th and 8th innings after knocking starter Joey Abraham (Vanderbilt) out of the game after just two frames.
Zach Reeg gets the win for Lakeshore after pitching 2.1 innings in relief. Chase Hoag will be tallied with the loss.
The Mallards will return to the Duck Pond tomorrow, June 10th, to take on the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. The game will feature a Chris Farley bobblehead giveaway presented by Dr. Jay Hazen and the Dentistry for Madison. There will also be a Chris Farley best-dressed costume contest in which the winner will win tickets to the game. Tickets are available for purchase by visiting MallardsBaseball.com, calling the Mallards ticket office at 608-246-4277, or stopping in the ticket office at 2920 N Sherman Ave.
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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 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2016, 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 150 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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.MallardsBaseball.com
