The Madison Mallards (31-15) picked up a 6-5 win over the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (19-27) with a late inning rally. After losing the lead for the first time in the game during the sixth inning, the Mallards’ offense was not phased and Madison came back for another close win over Fond du Lac.
The Mallards started the offense in the third inning. Ryne Stanley (North Carolina A&T) led off the inning with a walk and later scored the first run of the night on an error. Later in the frame (Austin Blazevic) ripped a two-RBI single to open a 3-0 Mallard lead.
Fond du Lac responded in the bottom of the third. Aaron Anderson (Flagler) launched a solo home run to right field to start the frame and make it a 3-1 contest.
In the fourth, Madison tacked on another. Logan Michaels (Virginia) dropped in a two-out, RBI single to reopen a three-run cushion, 4-1.
However, the Dock Spiders did not go down quietly and mounted a four-run sixth inning. Tate Kolwyck (Vanderbilt) and Tim Elko (Mississippi) notched back-to-back RBIs to slim Madison’s lead to 4-3. Then, Zeb Adreon (Iowa) lined a two-RBI double to push Fond du Lac ahead for the first time, 5-4.
Justice Bigbie (Western Carolina) rifled an RBI single up the middle for the Mallards in the seventh to tie the game 5-5.
In the top of the ninth inning, Drew Benefield (Louisville) lifted a sacrifice fly to plate the game-winning run and give the Mallards a 6-5 edge.
Brian Weissert (Fordham) earned the win for the Mallards and picked up the win for a second-consecutive night. Leon Davidson (North Carolina A&T) shut the door in the ninth and notched his third save, ending the night with a strikeout.
Max Cioffi (Mississippi) donned the loss for the Dock Spiders
Turning Point
Trailing by one in the seventh, the Mallards quickly produced a run as their all-star players at the top of the order got it done. Bigbie’s RBI single knotted the game. In the ninth, Benefield–another all-star–showed up big for the Mallards and drove home the go-ahead run.
Top Mallards
- Blazevic was one of two Mallards with a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-5 with a team-high two RBI.
- Benefield picked up his 27th RBI of the summer by plating the game-winning in the ninth inning.
- Weissert and Davison were strong in relief for the Mallards. Weissert tossed a perfect eighth inning and Davidson locked down the win in the ninth. The two right-handers allowed just one total hit and struck out two.
Next Up
The Mallards return to Warner Park on Saturday for their first meeting of the second half with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. First pitch at the Duck Pond is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. The evening will feature an LSM Chiropractic smartphone grip giveaway and post-game fireworks that begin with a baby gender reveal. Hear every pitch of the 2019 Mallards’ season live on The Zone, 96.7 FM and 1670 AM.
