Madison was swept by Fond du Lac on Sunday, leading to a two-way tie for first

Fond du Lac, WI – Madison and Fond du Lac concluded their home-and-home series on Sunday afternoon with the Dock Spiders winning 4-1.

For the first time since the All-Star Break, Madison surrendered a 1st inning run. A double and single led off the first try for Fond du Lac and the first run of the game was scored on Parker Knoll’s sacrifice fly. After that, Mallards’ starter Andrew Guardino struck out six until the 4th when Barron Zamora left the yard for the second time this season to extend the lead to three.

Controversy stirred in the top of the 3rd when Keenan Taylor slapped a leadoff double into the left-center gap. Fond du Lac Manager Doug Coe emerged from the home dugout to question the bat that Taylor used. After a delay and multiple conversations including the umpiring crew and both coaching staffs, Crew Chief Nick Hudlow signaled that Taylor was out. Taylor used a Rawlings ash bat. The Northwoods League urged teams to use maple-ash bats in 2023 but the rulebook states that both ash and maple-ash bats are legal for the 2023 season per Article IV, Section 7 of the Northwoods League Rule Book.

Later in the inning, Fond du Lac’s all-star starting pitcher Justin Doyle grabbed at his right shoulder and left the game after walking two. Eric Sipling entered from the bullpen and gave the Dock Spiders 5.2 of one-run ball while only throwing 58 pitches.

Fond du Lac went on to take a 4-0 lead against Mallards’ reliever Jack Bennett in his debut on a Drew Barragan single. Madison’s only run was scored on Davis Hamilton’s solo home run in the top of the 8th. The Mallards would put the tying run at the plate in the 9th but a double-play hit by Taylor would end the game. Madison finished with just three hits.

Madison returns to Warner Park tomorrow to play a single game against Lakeshore with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 P.M. CST.