Madison, Wis. – There were more late-inning heroics at the Duck Pond on Wednesday night as The Madison Mallards (13-3) won their 11thstraight ballgame on Tyler Plantier’s (Richmond) walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. After trailing 4-0 early in the ballgame, the Mallards stormed back to beat the Lakeshore Chinooks (7-9) 6-5 to seal their fifth consecutive series sweep.
After the Chinooks jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning, the Mallards slowly chipped away, scoring runs in the second and fifth to pull within a run. The Mallards struggled to push runners across in key moments until two scored in the bottom of the sixth when Lakeshore catcher Sebastian Holte-Mancera dropped the ball trying to tag Max Hewitt(Oklahoma State) at the plate. Mallards shortstop Garrett Kueberhustled in from second as the ball rolled to the backstop, giving the Mallards a 5-4 lead.
The Chinooks then tied the game in the top of the eighth, setting the stage for another potential exciting Mallards victory.
Turning Point
Mallards closer Trace Norkus (North Florida) was brilliant in the late innings again, this time working 1.2 hitless frames and walking only one. Norkus kept the game tied in the top of the ninth, striking out pinch hitter Alex Stevenson to strand the go-ahead run at third.
To lead off the bottom of the ninth, Mallards first baseman Jake Randa(NW Florida State) ripped a line drive down the left field line that skidded past a sliding Cole Turney, allowing Randa to pull into second with a double. Then, Mallards third baseman Tyler Plantier (Richmond) stepped to the plate looking to knock in Randa and give the Mallards their second consecutive walk-off win at the Duck Pond. Plantier did just that, cranking a line drive into centerfield, sending Randa home as the winning run.
Top Mallards
- Madison shortstop Garrett Kueber collected three hits and two RBI while also swiping a bag. Kueber’s RBI single in the second inning gave the Mallards their first tally on the board.
- Mallards catcher Hunter Hisky cranked his second home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth inning that pulled the Mallards within a run. Hisky’s blast struck the face of the top level of the Great Dane Duck Blind Suites.
- Mallards newcomer Turner Frenchworked two scoreless innings out of the pen. The lefty showed off an effective arsenal of pitches from his side-arm arm slot. French struck out a pair and allowed only one hit.
Next Up
The Mallards take on the Green Bay Bullfrogs tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at the Duck Pond and the game will feature Chris Clark, a professional stunt rider, presented by Schwinn. The game also features Diamond Center Date Night meaning the first 50 dating couples will receive a prize package courtesy of The Diamond Center. Gates open at 5:30 PM. For tickets and more information visit mallardsbaseball.com
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The Madison Mallards are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 170 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via theNorthwoods League portal. For more information, visitwww.mallardsbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Bullfrogs as your favorite team.
