Madison, WI – The Madison Mallards (36-27) came up short in a back-and-forth battle on Sunday afternoon, falling 10-6 to the Eau Claire Express (41-22) in ten innings.
Eau Claire struck first in the opening inning when Hollon Brock (University of Montevallo) lifted a sacrifice fly to give the Express a 1-0 lead. Madison answered in the bottom half, as Davis Hamilton (University of Minnesota) lined an RBI double to tie the game while collecting the 200th hit of his Mallards career. Nate Novinska (University of Illinois) followed with an RBI single to put Madison in front 2-1.
The Express regained the lead with two runs in the second, but the Mallards responded again in the third. Novinska launched his team-leading seventh home run of the season, a two-run blast that gave Madison a 4-3 advantage. The Mallards added to their lead in the fourth inning. Josue Figueroa (Florida A&M University) drove in a run with an RBI single before Novinska worked a bases-loaded walk, extending Madison’s lead to 6-3.
Eau Claire rallied in the sixth, beginning with a sacrifice fly from Landon Ubrig (Rock Valley College). Adam Salazar (Hope International University) followed with an RBI triple to pull the Express within one, then came home on a passed ball to even the score at 6-6.
Neither team could break the deadlock through the late innings. Madison threatened in both the eighth and ninth innings, putting two runners aboard in the eighth before loading the bases in the ninth, but the Mallards were unable to deliver the go-ahead run.
The Express finally broke through in the 10th. Matthew Maulik (University of St. Thomas) ripped a two-run double to put Eau Claire ahead 8-6, and Salazar added a two-run single later in the inning to provide insurance as the Express secured the 10-7 victory.
Brock Adamson (Missouri State University) earned the win for Eau Claire, while Eamonn Mulhern (St. Cloud State University) was charged with the loss for Madison.
The Mallards will travel to Wisconsin Rapids on Monday to begin a home-and-home series with the Rafters, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Madison returns to Warner Park on Tuesday for the second game of the series at 6:05 p.m.
