Green Bay, WI – July 24, 2008. The Mallards lost their fifth straight game with a 5-1 defeat against the Green Bay Bullfrogs Thursday night. Despite jumping out to an early 1-0 lead and having numerous baserunners in the first few innings, the Mallards offense could not get anything going in the last two-thirds of the game and 19 of their last 20 hitters were retired in order. Nolan Cain (LSU) worked a career-high four innings tonight, allowing just three hits, and left the game with the lead. The South Division first-half champion Mallards fall to 7-11 in the second half.
Rob Lyerly (Charlotte) was 2-for-3 in the game and reached on a walk in his other at bat. Joe Bonadonna (Illinois) scored the only Mallards run when he walked, stole second and came around to score on a single by Aaron Bray (Charlotte) in the second inning. Jon Karcich was 3-for-4 for the Bullfrogs with two runs scored. Drew Hedman had two hits and drove in two more, and Dwight Tanaka also had a pair of hits.
The Mallards got their lone run in the second on that single by Bray that scored Bonadonna. Bullfrogs starter Matt Lange and a pair of relievers could do no wrong the rest of the game, retiring the last 13 Mallards in order and all but one hitter after the second inning.
The Bullfrogs tied the game in the fifth off new Mallards pitcher Kyle Rutter (NC State) and got three more in the sixth to take a 4-1 lead. Rutter worked an inning-and-a-third and allowed four runs and four hits and was saddled with the loss. Green Bay would add another run in the eighth off Reed Woytek (Baylor) to finish the scoring for the night.
The Mallards wrap up a six-game road trip tomorrow night with another game against Green Bay and will look to come back to Madison with one win on the trip. After tomorrow night’s game the team returns to Madison, ahead of a pair of games against Waterloo on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday it is American Idol Karaoke Night at the “Duck Pond,” featuring an appearance by William Hung! Come meet the “star” and stick around for post-game karaoke and fireworks presented by Lifestyle Staffing!
