Bullfrogs Hold off Mallards
Mallards almost complete fourth straight comeback at home
Madison, Wis. – The Madison Mallards (19-15, 47-23) saw their late-inning comeback fall just short against the Green Bay Bullfrogs (16-18, 28-42) Friday night at the Duck Pond, dropping game two of the series 9-8. The Mallards flew out to a 6-0 lead but saw the Bullfrogs storm back, scoring nine runs in the middle innings to grab a 9-6 lead. The Mallards scored a pair of runs in the eighth to set up an exciting ninth inning but David Toth sealed the victory for the Bullfrogs, stranding the tying run on first and earning the save.
Turning Points
Holding a 2-0 lead in the third inning, the Mallards added on with a with a three run bomb byJake Randa (Northwest Florida State) and an RBI double by Trevor Schwecke (UW Milwaukee). After three played, the Mallards held a commanding 6-0 advantage.
However, the Bullfrogs responded with a huge comeback. Green Bay made it a 6-2 game in the fourth inning thanks to a Preston Pavlica two-run home run and followed with an even larger inning in the fifth inning. Green Bay tallied six runs, highlighted by a Blaise Maris two-run shot and a Blake Nelson two-run triple that gave Green Bay an 8-6 lead. The Bullfrogs added another in the sixth to build their lead up to three.
Trailing 9-6, the Mallards were able to chip into the lead in the bottom of the eighth. With runners on second and third and two outs, Jesse Forestell (Western Michigan) cued a line drive up the middle that was fielded by the Green Bay shortstop and thrown into the dugout, allowing two runs to score. Forestell’s RBI single and the throwing error made the score 9-8.
In the bottom of the ninth, Cam Cratic (Madison College) provided a leadoff single but Green Bay reliever David Toth stranded him there, sealing the Bullfrogs 9-8 win.
Top Mallards
- Third baseman Tyler Plantier (Richmond) was 3-for-5 on the night with a two-run shot. Plantier had a key single to lead off the eighth inning when the Mallards were storming back.
- Outfielder Jake Randa (Northwest Florida State) crushed a three-run bomb out of the park in left centerfield in the third inning. Randa now has nine home runs and 53 RBI this summer.
- Outfielder Cam Cratic (Madison College) collected a pair of hits and scored two runs. Cratic also reached on a walk and now owns a .450 on base percentage.
- Reliever Connor Churchill (Florida) tossed a pair of scoreless innings to keep the Mallards in striking distance in the late innings. Churchill tallied three strikeouts and allowed only two hits.
Next Up
The Mallards play their final regular season home game tomorrow against the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders at 6:05 PM. The game will feature Illusionist Glen Gerard and gates will open at 4:30 PM. 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.