The Mallards have lost all four of their extra inning games this year

Madison, WI – Fond du Lac was able to scratch and claw their way to a series opening victory at Warner Park on Saturday night after falling behind twice in the second half of the game. Fond du Lac came out victorious, 4-3.

Will Simmons turned in his best start of the summer on Saturday night. The freshman out of the University of North Carolina tossed 5.2 of scoreless baseball, striking out five and surrendering just two hits. He dueled with Joseph Chavana for the Dock Spiders who had a strong outing of his own. Two dropped-third strikes came back to bite him as he left facing a 2-1 deficit after six completed innings. Chavana took down six Mallards in his assignment.

Davis Hamilton knocked in the first run of the contest in the 5th inning but the game was later tied by Seth Sweet-Chick in the 7th off Madison reliever Ben Kasten. The Mallards were able to swing right back at Fond du Lac when Nick Williams plated two in the home-half of the 7th.

Sam Duvall entered to spell Kasten in the 8th and allowed a solo homer to Jake Surane to cut the lead to one. After the go-ahead run reached against Duvall, Manager Donnie Scott called the bullpen to send closer Tyler Avery into the game. A sacrifice fly hit by Drew Barragan tied the game, 3-3, but Avery stranded the other runner.

With no scoring the rest of the way, Madison played into their fourth extra inning contest of the year. The Dock Spiders scored the eventual winning run in the 11th on a pinch-hit single from Parker Knoll off Jax Traeger. Madison went down in both extra inning frames without advancing the extra-runner.

Madison and Fond du Lac now have just one game separating them in the Great Lakes West standings as they wrap up their series tomorrow at Herr-Baker Field in Fond du Lac. First pitch for game two is scheduled for 1:05 P.M. CST.