Last night the Madison Mallards (2-0) defeated the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (0-2) 6-0 to end the Rafters season and earn a sweep in the first round of the postseason. The Mallards explosive offense and strong arms on the mound prevented the Rafters from pulling out a come-from-behind win to force a game three.
Tonight, the Mallards are traveling to Traverse City, Michigan, to face the Traverse City Pit Spitters (2-0) for the first time this summer. The winner of tonight’s game will be crowned the Great Lakes Division Champion and move on to the Northwoods League Championship.
This Great Lakes matchup is going to prove to be a challenge for the Mallards.
Traverse City has been a dominant team during their inaugural season, tying the NWL record for the most wins in a single season with 52. The team also won out both the first and second half of their division.
Kyle Jones (University of Toledo) is up first on the mound for the Pit Spitters. Jones is making his twelfth start and his fourteenth overall appearance. Through 62.2 innings pitched he has accumulated 30 strikeouts and allowed only 15 walks. He holds a 2.72 ERA and the second most wins for the Pit Spitters pitching staff with a 6-2 record. Earlier this summer Jones was named to the All-Star game.
On the mound facing the Pit Spitters for the first time is Trevor Marreel (Washburn). Marreel is making his fifteenth overall appearance, his eleventh start of the season. Tonight marks his first start in the postseason. Across 47.2 innings pitched he has struck out 35 and allowed 27 walks. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. ET.
All the teams remaining in the postseason are playing single elimination games. If the Mallards pull out a victory tonight, the Northwoods League Championship game will be held at Warner Park later this week.
To catch all the action on the road, fans can listen to the game on 96.7 FM 1670 AM The Zone or watch the live stream available online at https://portal.stretchlive.com/nwl.
Tickets are available for purchase by visiting MallardsBaseball.com, calling the Mallards ticket office at 608-246-4277, or stopping in the ticket office at 2920 N Sherman Ave.
