Madison, Wis. (July 13) – Field manager Donnie Scott and the Madison Mallards (8-4, 28-19) answered their walk-off victory in extra innings Sunday against Battle Creek with a 9-4 victory over the La Crosse Loggers (7-7, 26-22) Monday afternoon in the first of two games at Warner Park. Collin Theroux (San Joaquin Delta CC) propelled Madison at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run and four runs batted in. Grant Spranger (Southeastern CC) received the winning decision, allowing just one run across 5.2 innings in which he allowed just four hits, struck out two and walked a quartet of Loggers hitters.
The Mallards mashed early and often in the victory, witnessing their first four batters in the bottom of the first reach base against Loggers starter Jack Ralston. Theroux plated two runners with a double in the frame, while Jonathan Quintana (Barry University) and Charlie Cody (Virginia) chipped in with runs batted in of their own. Bryce Carter (Stanford) scored the final run of the first off a Ro Coleman (Vanderbilt) single, capping a six-run inning for Madison.
Spranger, receiving his fourth start of the summer on the mound, proceeded to blank the Loggers across the first five innings of the contest. Meanwhile, Madison’s hitters plated three insurance runs between the third and fourth innings courtesy of Cody’s second sacrifice fly of the contest and Theroux’s two-run home run, which landed just shy of the Duck Pond parking lot over the left-field fence. The bomb extended the Mallards lead to a commanding 9-0 mark after five.
La Crosse responded with its first run of the game in the road half of the sixth via Ryan Kirby’s RBI single to score Jordan Pearce, which was the only blemish in Spranger’s outing. Brad Boegel (Murray State), making his Mallards debut out of the bullpen, promptly ended the sixth and followed it up with a scoreless seventh for Scott. Boegel ran into trouble in the top of the eighth, allowing three runners on a home run by Chris Baker, which cut Madison’s lead to 9-4.
The home run eventually turned out to be the final one allowed by the Mallards staff in the victory. Josh Pierce (Central Michigan) tossed the final 1.2 innings of relief, a span of time in which he allowed just one hit, issued no walks and ended any hope of a Loggers comeback by inducing Alex Merritt into a ground out to Cody at third base. The scoreless appearance was Pierce’s fourth in his last five games out of Madison’s bullpen, lowering his season ERA to 4.39.
With their second consecutive victory in the books, the Mallards will turn their attention toward the finale of Monday’s double-header with La Crosse. First pitch for the nightcap is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the Mallards ticket office at 608-246-4277 or visit www.MallardsBaseball.com for more information. Unable to attend? Follow the Mallards on Twitter @MadisonMallards or tune in to 100.5 FM ESPN Madison’s comprehensive play-by-play coverage.
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The Madison Mallards are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.MallardsBaseball.com.
