Madison, WI – The Madison Mallards opened the 2026 Northwoods League Playoffs in dominant fashion on Sunday, defeating the Lakeshore Chinooks in Game 1 of the best-of-three Great Lakes West Sub-Divisional series to take a 1-0 series lead.

The Mallards broke through in the third inning, scoring four runs to take an early advantage. Brayden Zilis (Illinois State University) scored on a wild pitch to put Madison on the board before Aiden Arnett (Virginia Tech) and Jack Bello (University of Minnesota) followed with RBI singles. Davis Hamilton (University of Minnesota) capped the rally with an RBI double, giving the Mallards a 4-0 lead.

Zilis added to the lead in the fourth, launching his first collegiate home run with a solo blast to right field to make it 5-0. Madison then erupted for four more runs in the fifth to take a 9-0 lead, highlighted by a two-run double from Cole Crafton (University of Illinois).

Noah Musolf (Valparaiso University) was dominant on the mound, keeping the Chinooks off the scoreboard through the first six innings while recording a career-high eight strikeouts. Lakeshore finally broke through in the seventh when Nick Allred (St. Mary’s College) drove in a run on a groundout. Aukai Kea (Vanderbilt University) followed with an RBI double to cut the deficit to 9-2.

The Mallards shut the door from there, with Nicholas Patterson (UAPB) tossing two scoreless innings of relief to secure the 9-2 victory. Musolf earned the win for Madison, while Dylan Weekly (University of Arizona) took the loss for the Chinooks. The win marked Madison’s first home postseason victory at Warner Park since 2021.

The series shifts to Mequon on Monday night, with Game 2 scheduled for 6:35 p.m. The Mallards can advance to the Great Lakes Championship with a win, while the Chinooks will look to force a decisive Game 3.