Eau Claire, WI – The Madison Mallards (50-20) fell short against the Eau Claire Express (35-35) 4-2 in the final game of the regular season on Saturday night. 

Madison started the scoring in the top of the third inning when Dawson Hokuf (Cincinnati) drove home Jake Schaffner (North Dakota State) with an RBI groundout to give the Mallards a 1-0 lead. However, Eau Claire tied the game at one in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run by Bennett Mccollow (Concordia-St. Paul). 

Korbyn Dickerson (Louisville) gave the Mallards the lead back in the top of the fifth inning with an RBI double to drive home Schaffner to make it 2-1. Once again, the Express battled back in the home half of the inning, tying the game at two on an RBI single from Mccollow. 

The game remained even until the bottom of the eighth inning, when Jake Busson (Iowa Central Community College) blasted a solo home run to give Eau Claire a 3-2 lead. The Express added one more in the inning to go ahead 4-2, and they won by that score. 

Andrew Milner (Saint Mary’s) picked up the win for the Express in relief, while Aiden Fishnick (McHenry County College) was charged with the loss for the Mallards. Nick Fitzanko (William Jewell College) earned his first save of the season.

The Mallards finish the second half at 26-10, and in first place in the Great Lakes West division. The Express finish the half at 20-15, which puts them in second place in the Great Plains East. 

The 2024 Northwoods League Postseason begins on Sunday afternoon, as the Mallards face the Wausau Woodchucks in the first round. Game 1 takes place at Warner Park on Sunday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Fans can get playoff tickets now at mallardsbaseball.com.