Madison, Wis. – The Madison Mallards (9-8, 37-16) won 2-1 in exciting fashion against the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (11-6, 32-20) in front of 6,631 fans at Warner Park on Saturday night. Mallards starter Justin Watland (San Jose State)and Dock Spider hurler Jon Mierzwa dueled during the early innings before turning the game over to the bullpens that kept the game tied at one going into the eighth inning. David Vinsky (Northwood) delivered a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the eighth before Carson Ragsdale (South Florida) slammed the door shut to seal the Mallards seventh-straight win.
Turning Point
In the top of the seventh with the game tied at one, reliever Andrew Baker (Florida)allowed a pair of baserunners to start the frame, placing runners on the corners with nobody out. However, Baker worked out of the jam, forcing a lineout, a strikeout and a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Trevor Schwecke (UW-Milwaukee)led off with a double into the leftfield corner then took third on a wild pitch that escaped just far enough from Fond du Lac catcher. Schwecke was later put out when trying to score on a Tyler Plantier (Richmond)groundball. However, the Mallards had runners on first and second with one down and David Vinsky at the dish. Vinsky delivered with a sinking line drive that landed just in front of the diving Dock Spiders centerfielder Kiambu Fentress, scoring Jake Randa and giving the Mallards a 2-1 lead.
After striking out a pair to start the frame, Carson Ragsdale allowed a two-out single to move to second on a wild pitch and then issued a walk. However, the lengthy righty stuck out pinch hitter Mitch Boe to end the game and seal the one-run victory.
Top Mallards
- Second baseman Trevor Schwecke went 2-for-4 with a double in the Mallards win, bumping his average up to .305 this summer.
- First baseman David Vinsky delivered the game-winning hit and finished 1-for-4 at the dish.
- Starting pitcher Justin Watland tossed 5.0 innings and allowed one run on four hits while striking out five. Watland turned the ball over to Andrew Bakerwho pitched a pair of innings to keep the score tied at one until the eighth.
- Carson Ragsdale pitched the game’s final two innings, earning his first win of the season and striking out four to battle through multiple high-leverage situations.
Next Up
The Mallards head to Fond du Lac to finish their two-game set with the Dock Spiders tomorrow night. Then, eight Mallards are in action for the 2018 Northwoods League All-Star Game in Kalamazoo on July 24th. The Mallards will return to the Duck Pond after the All-Star break on July 26 to take on the Rockford Rivets at 7:05 PM. Gates will open at 5:30 PM and the game will feature Animart Bark in the Park with Madison Veterinary Specialists Dog Toy giveaway. For tickets and more information visit mallardsbaseball.com. Make sure to catch every Mallards game on The Zone, 1670 AM and 96.7 FM.
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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 Mallards as your favorite team.
