Madison, Wis. – The Madison Mallards (12-11, 31-27) used stellar starting pitching and a patient approach at the plate to dominate the Battle Creek Bombers (15-8, 35-23) on Saturday night at Warner Park. The Mallards 13-3 win snapped the Bombers six-game winning streak and got the Mallards back in the win column.
Madison hopped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Matt Elsenpeter (NDSU) and Maverick Handley (Stanford) delivered RBI singles to give the Mallards an early advantage. Elsenpeter had an impressive night as he went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI, two walks, and a run scored.
As the game progressed, it seemed as though the three runs would be all starter Tyler Dyson (Florida) would need. Dyson was phenomenal on the mound as he mowed through the Bomber lineup. Dyson worked 6.2 innings and racked up seven strikeouts while issuing zero walks. Dyson sat the Bombers down in order in four separate innings and provided the dominant pitching performance the Mallards needed.
The Mallards added a fourth run in the bottom of the sixth on a clutch two-out RBI single. With a four run lead, Dyson headed back to the mound for the Mallards. The Bombers were finally able to get to Madison’s ace when Evan Faccenda knocked a single into left that scored two. Luke Schilling (Illinois) entered to relieve Dyson and worked out of the inning without allowing any more harm.
After the Bombers pulled within two, the Madison offense exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Madison bats were able to jump on Bombers reliever Alex Smith. The Mallards drew four walks and stroked three singles in the huge inning and pulled out to an 11-2 lead.
Overall, the Mallards offense tallied ten runs in the game’s final three innings and went on to win 13-3. Every player in the Madison lineup notched a hit and six drove in runs. The Mallards showed fantastic patience at the plate as they drew 12 walks while going down on strikes only six times.
Tomorrow, the Mallards host the Bombers again, this time at 4:05 PM. Gates are scheduled to open at 2:30 PM and the game features Harry Potter Night featuring Maynard Potter bobblehead giveaway presented by Zimbrick Honda. Listen to all Mallards games live by tuning into The Zone 106.7 FM or 1670 AM. For more Mallards coverage, visit mallardsbaseball.com.
