Wisconsin Rapids, WI – June, 15, 2016. Playing the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (8-7) for the eighth time in the season’s first sixteen games, the Madison Mallards (10-6) had an offensive explosion as they won Wednesday night’s game by a 10-3 final.
After Nate Palace (Valparaiso) singled in the first inning to score Nico Hoerner (Stanford) to put the Mallards on the board, Heath Renz (UW-Whitewater) was handed the ball as he made his third start of the season.
Renz was simply brilliant after allowing a first inning run to the Rafters. On the night, he went five innings while striking out four Rafters batters, as he had complete control of his full arsenal of pitches and was able to work both sides of the plate.
Matt McCann (Fairleigh Dickinson) launched his first home run of the season to left field in the top of the 4th inning, and gave the Mallards a 2-1 lead. Cameron Frost (Washington St.) would reach later in the inning, and promptly stole both second and third. He would come in to score on Zach Jarrett’s (UNC-Charlotte) infield single, bringing Jarrett’s RBI total to five over the last two nights.
As Renz was in cruise control on the mound, the Mallards offense continued their onslaught in the fifth. Cam Comer (Virginia) made his presence felt in his first start of the season for the Mallards, as he led the inning off with a solo home run. Following a Logan Sherer (UNC-Charlotte) triple, AJ Montoya (Toledo) turned on the very first pitch he saw and crushed a two-run shot to left to push the Mallards lead to 6-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, Frost made one of the best catches you’ll see in the Northwoods League this season, as he sprawled out on a full sprint and robbed Logan Mattix of extra bases with a diving catch at the base of the wall in deep centerfield.
The Mallards would tack on another run in the 6th, and led 7-1 heading into the final frame at Witter Field. Even with a six run cushion, the Mallards weren’t done offensively. AJ Montoya continued his great night at the plate with his second home run of the game, as he again launched the first pitch he saw to deep left-centerfield. Nico Hoerner would later add a two-run blast of his own in the inning, as the Mallards pushed their lead to 10-1.
Following Wednesday night’s victory over the Rafters, the Mallards return home for a three game home stand. The Mallards play host to the Battle Creek Bombers on Thursday, June 16th on Zimbrick Honda Madison State Capitol Maynard bobblehead giveaway night. Join the team earlier that day for the UW Health Sports Medicine fastball pitching mechanics baseball clinic from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. $40 for ages 8-16. Seven of the next eight games for the Mallards are back home at the Duck Pond, as they hope that returning home to Madison will help their offense keep the groove it found on Wednesday night.
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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, 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
