Madison, WI – July 3, 2016. After a Wisconsin Rapids Rafters loss earlier today, the Mallards (21-13) needed a win tonight in order to keep the hopes of a first-half South division title alive. They were able to do just that on Sunday, as Madison was able to down the St. Cloud Rox (23-10) in one of the most exciting games of 2016. The Mallards were able to overcome an early three-run deficit, eventually winning by a score of 8-5.
The game was an offense showing from the get-go, with Madison jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the second on a Matt McCann (Fairleigh Dickinson) single. The base knock brought home Cameron Frost (Washington State) from second, scoring their lone earned run off of Rox starter Shelby Lackey (Pacific). The lead wouldn’t hold for long, as St. Cloud would jump on Madison in the third.
The Rox would send eight men to the plate in their four-run third inning, hanging a crooked number on Mallards starter Mike Reitcheck (Penn), whilst Reitcheck was on cruise control. The lefty didn’t allow a runner to move past first base in his four other frames, striking out five in his five innings of work. Three of the Rox’s four runs in the inning came with two outs.
Trailing 4-1 in the fifth, Bryce Carter (Stanford) would come home on a wild pitch after a one-out double off of Lackey. The hit and the run would be just the beginning of Carter’s huge night, as he was able to deliver a huge boost for the team offensively.
“I made some adjustments to my swing coming into the summer, and it’s always hard when you make a change like that,” said Carter. “I was feeling good today, got more comfortable in the batter’s box and was able to put some hits together.”
Madison was truly able to turn this ballgame on its head in the sixth inning, scoring three unearned runs thanks to Sam Armstrong (Jacksonville), Matt McCann and Bryce Carter RBI singles. The outburst would give the Mallards a 5-4 lead with Alex Smith (North Florida) pitching in the seventh.
A leadoff double would put the Mallards in a tough spot early in the inning, with a sacrifice bunt moving the runner to third with one away. A one-out strikeout wouldn’t matter, as the Rox would continue their two-out mashing with an RBI single, tying the game and setting the stage for an incredible finish.
With one out in the inning, Cameron Frost would reach on a dropped third strike, with Cam Comer (Virginia) stepping into the box. Comer would be robbed of what would have most likely been a tie-breaking RBI double, with Rox centerfielder Mason Mamarella (Kent State) making a top-ten worthy diving catch at the wall. Frost would eventually steal second and advance to third on a wild pitch, with Matt McCann back in the batter’s box in a big spot. McCann would draw a walk on a full count, bringing Bryce Carter to the dish. Carter would send a 2-2 fastball over the wall in right-center, running as if he had hit a double. The long ball gave Madison an 8-5 lead, which they would hang on to for the victory.
Troy Bacon (Santa Fe College) would earn the win in relief, working 2.1 scoreless innings. Every one of Bacon’s outs was recorded via the strikeout, punching out seven in that span. The win was his fourth on the year, tying him for the league-lead in wins. Trevor Charpie (Nevada-Reno) took the loss, serving up the home run to Carter in the eighth.
The game marked the debut of utility man Nelson Maldonado (Florida), who made two spectacular sliding catches in left field. He was able to reflect on his first game for the Mallards after an exciting win.
“The atmosphere was amazing out here,” said Maldonado. “It reminded me a lot of Omaha during the College World Series.”
The Mallards will return to the Duck Pond on Wednesday, July 6th to take on the Battle Creek Bombers at 7:05 pm. The game will feature a Physicians Plus blanket giveaway. Tickets are available for purchase by visiting MallardsBaseball.com, calling the Mallards ticket office at 608-246-4277, or stopping in the ticket office at 2920 N Sherman Ave.
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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 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball, 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 150 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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.mallardsbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the Mallards as your favorite team.
