The Madison Mallards (33-19) powered past the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (21-31) 4-2 on Sunday at Herr-Baker Field. The Mallards’ pitching staff allowed just three hits and dominated the Spiders. It marked Madison’s eighth win over Fond du Lac through the first 10 meetings between the teams in 2019.

The Mallards scored their first runs of the series in the second inning. With two runners on and two out, Nick Figus (Illinois Wesleyan) roped an RBI double. A few pitches later, Ben Anderson (Georgia) knocked a two-RBI single up the middle to give Madison an early 3-0 cushion.

The Dock Spiders’ offense was quiet until the fourth inning, getting their first hit and first run on one swing. Luke Robinson (Western Carolina) hit a solo home run to right field and slimmed the Mallard lead to 3-1.

In the seventh, Otto Grimm (Minnesota) laced an RBI single for Fond du Lac and cut Madison’s lead to one run, 3-2.

Figus notched his second RBI of the afternoon in the eighth. With the bases loaded, Figus was hit by a breaking ball in the back and brought home a run to create a 4-2 Madison edge which ultimately held on as the final.

AJ Archambo (Oral Roberts) earned the win for the Mallards. The right-hander crafted a strong five innings and gave up just one hit, the solo home run. Houston Glad (Texas Wesleyan) donned the loss for the Dock Spiders after allowing three runs.

Theo Denlinger (Bradley) pitched a perfect ninth inning and picked up his seventh save of the summer for the Mallards.

Turning Point

In a one-run, 3-2 game, the Mallards’ offense was not phased. The next half-inning, the team responded by loading the bases to begin the frame and eventually recreate a two-run lead which was more than enough for the masterful core of Madison pitchers.

Top Mallards

• Archambo stranded two runners in each of the first two innings and did not allow a hit until the fourth inning. He notched his third win of the season and shut down the Dock Spider offense.
• Anderson and Figus led the offense with two-RBI games each, bringing home all four of the Mallards’ runs between the two. Anderson is now hitting .303.
• Nick Gile (Madison College) churned out a multi-hit game and finished 2-for-5 at the plate, scoring one of the four runs.

Next Up

The Mallards continue their three-game road trip with a visit to Mequon, Wisconsin, for a series against the Lakeshore Chinooks. First pitch on Monday is slated for 6:35 p.m. from Kapco Park. Hear every pitch of the 2019 Mallards’ season live on The Zone, 96.7 FM and 1670 AM.