Madison, WI – The Madison Mallards (11-6) and Traverse City Pit Spitters (9-9) split Friday’s doubleheader at Warner Park, with each team earning a win.
Game 1
The Mallards took the lead in the first inning as John Hadley (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) hit an RBI single to make it 1-0 Madison. The Pit Spitters answered in the second inning when Jackson Militello (Charleston Southern University) hit a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1.
The game remained tied until the sixth inning, when Militello was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give Traverse City a 2-1 lead. Cole Van Ameyde (Michigan State University) followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1, and Sam Kaczmarek (William & Mary) added an RBI single to extend the lead to 4-1.
Traverse City added on in the seventh inning as Aaron Grant (University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff) hit a two-run homer to make it 6-1. Those insurance runs proved important as Madison rallied in the bottom of the inning.
Preston Yaucher (Penn State University) and Jonah Weathers (University of Louisville) each delivered RBI hits in the seventh as the Mallards scored three runs and brought the tying run to the plate. The comeback fell short, however, as the Pit Spitters held on for a 6-4 victory.
Kyle Timko (Maryville College) earned the win with a fantastic start, while Trey Lawrence (University of Missouri) was charged with the loss. David Heefner (Dallas Baptist University) picked up his second save of the season.
Game 2
The Mallards offense got off to a great start in the second game of the doubleheader. Weathers hit an RBI double in the first inning to give Madison a 1-0 lead, extending his hitting streak to 16 games in the process. Hadley made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly, and the Mallards scored two more runs to cap a four-run first inning.
Madison continued to add on in the second. Weathers drove in another run with an RBI single to make it 5-0. Hadley then grounded into a fielder’s choice, but a sixth run crossed the plate on the play to make it a 6-0 game.
The Pit Spitters got on the board in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI single from JT Smith (Wofford College) to make it 6-1, but that was all the offense they could muster. The Mallards scored three more runs in the bottom of the sixth and cruised to a 9-1 victory.
PJ Green (University of Missouri) picked up the win in relief for the Mallards, his first of the season. Gannon Grundman (Michigan State University) was charged with the loss for Traverse City.
The Mallards will be back in action on Saturday night when they host the Richmond Flying Mummies. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
