The Madison Mallards returned home to the Duck Pond at Warner Park on Friday night and came away with a 6-3 win over the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.

The Rafters went up 2-0 in the second inning, but the Mallards got one back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI groundout from Dominic Toso (Richmond) with the bases loaded.

The score held at 2-1 until the 5th inning, when the Mallards got their big hit of the night. Cam Cratic (Missouri State) came up with two runners on and hit a bomb to right-center field to put the Ducks up 4-2.

The Rafters then got a run back in the top of the 6th which ended Kyle Jungers (Edgewood) night on the mound. Jungers finished with 5.1 innings pitched, three earned runs, one walk and three strikeouts.

The Mallards then tacked on two big insurance runs in the seventh inning as Cam Cratic came through once again. He hit a double which then got kicked around in right field, and two runners scored on the play, including Cam Frederick (Creighton) all the way from first.

The Mallards’ 6-3 lead was enough for new Mallards reliever Kade Lancour (UW-Whitewater) to come in and slam the door. In his first appearance with the Mallards, he came in and finished a two-inning save.

Next up for the Mallards is another contest against the Rafters, but this time on the road in Wisconsin Rapids. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. and Mallards returner Eliot Turnquist will be making his first start of the 2021 season for the team.