In the first game following the three day All-Star break, the Madison Mallards (9-5) hosted the Kalamazoo Growlers (5-10) and came away with a tight 5-4 victory.

The Mallards had some tough luck right away in this one as starting pitcher Kyle Subers (Lafayette) had to exit the game due to an injury just two outs into the game. Subers struck out two batters to get those two outs.

The Mallards took the lead in the bottom of the third on a passed ball, but then relinquished that lead in the top of the fourth as the Growlers brought two runs home.

The fifth was the big inning for the Mallards tonight. Matt Scannell (Princeton) brought home two runs on a double down the right field line, and then JT Benson (Louisville) brought home a third run in the inning on a sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the eighth with the Mallards up 4-3, the all-star Alex Iadisernia (Elon) tacked on a huge insurance run with an RBI-single. That gave Mallards reliever Jared Fong (Washington – St. Louis) the cushion he needed.

The Growlers scored one in the ninth on an RBI-single from Luke Storm (Duke). Fong then worked out of a jam with runners at first and second with one down by striking out the final two batters and picking up the save.

The Mallards pitching staff, which sent six different pitchers to the mound after Subers’ injury, struck out 14 Growlers hitters on the night, their most in a single game this season.

Peyton Winebarger (North Carolina A&T State) picked up the win for the Mallards, pitching 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen and striking out three.

This was the first of a four game home stand for the Mallards. They will face off in the finale with the Growlers tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. with the Wisconsin Woodchucks then coming in over the weekend.