14-game losing streak to the Rafters ended in Sunday night’s win
Wisconsin Rapids, WI – The Mallards used a barrage of early runs to earn Sunday night win at Witter Field against Wisconsin Rapids by a score of 8-5. Prior to this game, Madison had lost 14 consecutive games to the Rafters and 10 straight at Witter Field.
For the fifth time in seven games, Madison’s offense gave the team an early lead with one run in the top of the 2nd. A Korbyn Dickerson double put the Mallards’ leadoff man on to begin the frame. Two wild pitches from Rafters’ starter Jackson Wentworth allowed Dickerson to come around to score. Wisconsin Rapids would scratch back in the bottom of the 2nd against right-hander Derek Salata in his second start of the year. Chris Conniff doubled to start the Rafters’ 2nd inning and scored from second on another double from Shane Taylor. That would be the only damage allowed by Salata in the afternoon. He completed five innings, allowing his first hits of the year in that 2nd inning.
The Mallards offense would ignite in the top of the 3rd against Wentworth. 11 batters came to the plate, the team compiled six runs on eight hits and help from a handful of wild pitches. Jake Holcroft, making his debut, hit a single and a double in the inning, leading the charge. Isaiah Jackson and Korbyn Dickerson smashed back-to-back homers in the middle of the inning to stretch the lead to 4-1 and then 5-1. Left fielder Michael Gupton drove in his first run of the year with a single later in the frame in his first game with Madison.
Fresh off a 1-0 shutout win over Green Bay, the Rafters offense wouldn’t go away. Wisconsin Rapids threatened heavily in the bottom of the 6th inning against first Mallards’ reliever Wesley Oswald. Oswald threw 14 pitches in his debut and only hit the strike zone twice, walking the bases loaded. Donnie Scott was forced to call on the young right-hander from North Carolina, Will Simmons. In his second performance of the year out of the bullpen, Simmons allowed a single to Kyle Carlson which plated two runs to cut the Madison lead to 7-3. Following the single, the Tarheel erased the next six Rafters to complete the 6th and 7th innings.
The Mallards picked up an insurance run in the top of the 8th with a sacrifice fly from Keenan Taylor that scored Mikey Kluska after he slashed his first single of the campaign. Wisconsin Rapids picked up another run on a Matt Olive solo blast in the bottom half.
Madison turned to closer Rashad Ruff in the bottom of the 9th inning to slam the door. With a four-run lead, Ruff allowed a walk and a single to begin the inning. Jack Basseer bounced out which scored Brandon Rogers to cut the lead to three. After a backward strikeout of Chris Conniff, Olive walked to bring the tying run to the plate. After a long duel with Shane Taylor, Ruff forced Taylor to pop out to end the game.
A year after the Rafters went an undefeated 12-0 against Madison, the Mallards take game one of the season series and look for a sweep of Wisconsin Rapids tomorrow from Witter Field with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 P.M..
