The Mallards’ offense scores just two runs in two games to lose second straight
Mequon, WI – The Mallards and the Lakeshore Chinooks started their third series in the first two and a half weeks of the season on Thursday night at Kapco Park in Mequon with a 2-1 final in favor of Lakeshore.
Lakeshore used the longball in the bottom of the 1st inning against Mallards’ right-hander Kade Lancour to jump ahead 1-0 on Joey Spence’s first homer of the year and the first home run hit by the Chinooks at home this summer. After stranding two runners in the first frame for Lancour, he sat down the next 11 batters to turn in a six inning performance with just two hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.
The issue for the Mallards was the offense for a second consecutive game. Madison has scored a combined two runs in the past two games, one against Fond du Lac on Tuesday and tonight at Lakeshore. There were two different innings where the Mallards had two hits and they were unable to convert on either opportunity against Lakeshore’s Jason Schaaf. Madison got on the board in the top of the 3rd inning when Isaiah Jackson bounced out to second base which scored Jack Tucker. After Schaaf tossed four innings, enter Connor Krauseneck, the same arm that Keenan Taylor walked-off on Sunday. Krauseneck, throwing on the same mound for the Chinooks as he plays on for Concordia University in Wisconsin, faced six batters and struck out five.
With the game tied at 1-1, Connor Langrell took over for Madison as the Mallards only bullpen piece on Thursday. With one out in the bottom of the 8th, Gabe Roessler doubled and was followed by a Joey Spence single that gave Lakeshore a one-run edge.
Lakeshore Manager Trevor Cho opted for closer James Reese in the top of the 9th against the bottom half of the Mallards’ order. David Melfi, making his debut, singled on the first pitch to lead off the inning after striking out in his first three at-bats. As soon as Melfi touched first base, Mike Gupton emerged from the dugout as his pinch-runner. Later in the inning with one out, Gupton took off early for second base and Spence, Lakeshore’s catcher, stepped in front of Madison’s Jake Goolsby to try and throw out Gupton, resulting in a catcher’s interference call to put runners on first and second. One pitch later, Gupton headed for third way ahead of the pitch and was picked off by Reese. One pitch later, Keenan Taylor singled into left. James Reese would go on to strike out Jack Tucker to end the game.
With the season-series being led 3-2 by Lakeshore, the two teams meet to conclude their series at 6:35 P.M. from Warner Park on Friday night for the first fireworks show of the season in Madison.
