The Madison Mallards (11-12) were victorious on Thursday night at Warner Park as they topped the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (9-15), 7-2. The Madison offense was able to put pressure on the Fond du Lac defense and come through with clutch hitting while the pitching staff worked out of multiple scoring threats.
The Mallards got on the board right away in the bottom of the first as back to back singles by Cole Daily (Notre Dame) and Kian O’Brien (Madison College) got the bats in business. Angel Camacho (Jacksonville) then knocked Daily in on a fielder’s choice.
Mallards starter Luke Matheny (Oklahoma State) made a strong start as he allowed just one run, a solo shot in the second inning that knotted the game at two. Otherwise, Matheny was effective as he tossed 4.0 innings and allowed just three hits.
After the solo shot that tied the game, the Mallards were able to respond offensively and break the ballgame open. With the score tied at one, Madison took the lead in the third on a Camacho RBI single. An inning later, the Mallards made the Fond du Lac defense work as they deployed an aggressive approach on the basepaths. Maverick Handley (Stanford) scored on a throwing error when swiping third base to make the score 3-1. Daily then laid down a perfect bunt and reached second on another throwing miscue. Doran Turchin (Illinois) and Camacho followed with RBI knocks to give the Mallards a four-run lead.
After Luke Matheny departed in the fifth inning, the Madison bullpen kept the lead safe. Rafi Vazquez (Coastal Carolina) allowed just one run in a tense, bases loaded situation in the sixth inning. With one out and the bases juiced, Vazquez picked up a key strikeout and induced an inning-ending fly out to escape with a 5-2 lead. Dom Savino (Albany) also had an impressive outing out of the pen as he worked two scoreless innings and struck out three.
Madison added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth as Daily drove in one on a double and Camacho knocked one home on a groundout. David Stover (Marietta) entered to pitch the ninth and sent the Dock Spiders down in order to seal the 7-2 Madison win.
The Mallards travel to Lakeshore tomorrow to face the Chinooks for a two-game set. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM in Lakeshore. The Mallards will return to Warner Park on Sunday for a 1:05 PM game with the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Listen to all Mallards games live by tuning into The Zone 106.7 FM or 1670 AM. For more Mallards coverage, visit mallardsbaseball.com.
