Rockford, IL – The Madison Mallards (22-10) earned their second straight shutout victory over the Rockford Rivets (12-22) on Saturday night.

Madison wasted no time getting on the board, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning before adding to it in the fourth. Aaron Holland (UW-Whitewater) drove in a run with an RBI single to make it 2-0, and Brock Lulewicz (McLennan Community College) scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 3-0. Preston Yaucher (Penn State University) capped the inning with a sacrifice fly, giving the Mallards a 4-0 advantage.

The Mallards broke the game open in the fifth. Marcelino Alonso (Indiana State University) hit a two-run single to push the lead to 6-0, and two more runs crossed later in the inning on a single from Dom Jacoby (University of Louisville), stretching Madison’s lead to 8-0.

Luke Fricker (University of Missouri) turned in an outstanding performance on the mound, tossing five shutout innings while striking out seven to keep Rockford off the scoreboard. Madison added one final run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Lulewicz and cruised to a 9-0 victory.

Fricker earned the win for the Mallards, while Matthew Steinberg (Manhattan College) was charged with the loss for Rockford. Ryan Johnson (University of Illinois) followed with four shutout innings in relief to record the save.

With the victory, the Mallards remain tied with Wausau atop the Great Lakes West Division standings. Madison returns to Warner Park on Sunday to host the Minnesota Mud Puppies, with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 p.m.