Madison, Wis. – The Madison Mallards slugged their way to an 11-6 season opening victory over the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders on Tuesday evening at Warner Park. The game marked the beginning of the 2017 Northwoods League season and also the inaugural game for the Fond du Lac Lake Spiders who were added to the Northwoods League during the offseason.
For the Mallards, Doran Turchin (Univesity of Illinois), Brock Weimer (SIUE), and Cade Bunnell (Madison College) set the pace offensively as they each knocked a home run to left field. The long ball proved to be essential to the Madison offense as eight of the eleven runs were driven in by home runs. After leading the NWL in dingers last summer, this year’s Mallards team appears to be following where the 2016 team left off.
To begin the game, after a scoreless top half, the Mallards offense wasted no time as Jett Manning (Frederick) led off the bottom of the first with a single into left field and then swiped second base two batters later. After hit by pitch, Turchin launched a three-run shot over the left field fence to give Madison an early 3-0 advantage.
After the Dock Spiders tacked on a run in the top of the third, the Mallards added a pair on a two-run bomb by designated hitter, Weimer. Madison took advantage of the short-porch in left field again in the fourth as Bunnell poked a slicing fly ball over the wall for a three-run home run. The long ball gave the Mallards a 9-1 lead.
“I was trying to hit the ball hard and on a line and I just got it up into the air and it felt good. I didn’t know that I got it out right away but I knew it had a chance”, explained Bunnell. Bunnell, a Stoughton, WI native went yard on an exciting night in his baseball career. “I’ve been coming to these games for as long as I can remember so it’s kind of been a dream come true. It’s a pretty cool opportunity”, he explained.
Right-handed reliever Ryan Schmitt (Illinois) relieved Heath Renz (UW-Whitewater) in the top of the sixth and inherited a 9-4 lead. Schmitt was extremely effective out of the bullpen as he struck out the side in the sixth then retired the side in the seventh. Renz earned the win as he tossed five innings, allowed four runs, none of which were earned. He also allowed only three hits and struck out three.
In the late innings, Manning and Brady Pfaadt (Bellarmine) both tacked on run-scoring knocks. Also, Chris Choles (NDSU) provided an additional two innings of relief.
Next on the slate for the Mallards is another contest with the Dock Spiders tomorrow at 6:35 PM at Warner Park. The game will be the second of a five-game homestand at the Duck Pond to begin the season.
