{"id":7725,"date":"2015-11-04T12:04:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-04T12:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/madison-mallards\/?p=7725"},"modified":"2015-11-25T19:47:39","modified_gmt":"2015-11-25T19:47:39","slug":"madison-mallards-2015-season-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/madison-mallards\/2015\/11\/04\/madison-mallards-2015-season-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"Madison Mallards 2015 Season Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\"19672278413_e4b94015d5_kBy: Alec Dopp, Mallards Public Relations<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMadison, Wis. (August 27) – <\/strong>The Madison Mallards 2015 campaign officially came to a close on Tuesday, August 11 under the lights of historic Simmons Field in Kenosha, with field manager Donnie Scott and company falling just a few outs shy of a berth in the Northwoods League's summer collegiate world series.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tYet while the season ended on what most would consider a sour note — the Kingfish bested Madison on a walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth, and eventually went on to win the championship over St. Cloud — this summer proved to be one of the best in Mallards history from several perspectives.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAttendance-wise, the Mallards once again staked their claim as the creme of the summer collegiate crop. A grand total of 216,159 fans filed through Warner Park's gates across 34 regular-season contests this season, en route to an average attendance of 6,358 per game that not only doubled the Northwoods League's second-best mark (3,054), but also set a new franchise record for attendance since its inception in 2001.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNo doubt, Madison's early on-field success played a vital role in its unprecedented drawing. Sweeping Kalamazoo in a two-game home set to open their schedule — a series that concluded with a 16-1 thumping of the Growlers on May 27 — the Mallards proceeded to string together five more wins over their next six games to run their record to 7-1 to open up the first-half of the 2015 season. Impressively, Madison out-scored its opponents 54-21 during its first eight games.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAs the calendar flipped from May to June and players from high-profile college programs reported to Madison for summer competition, the Mallards continued their hot-swinging ways in the second month of the season. Anthony Gonsolin (St. Mary's College), Logan Regnier (Central Michigan), Jean Ramirez (Illinois State) and Collin Theroux (Oklahoma State) ignited Scott's lineup with batting averages at or above the .300 plateau in the second month of the season, while Mike Kaelin (Buffalo) whiffed 25 hitters over 13.2 shutout innings en route to a trio of saves for Madison's bullpen.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tUnable to secure a first-half South Division title despite an otherwise impressive 20-15 mark and several thrilling walk-off victories over divisional foes at the end June, Scott and the Mallards turned their attention toward a hot start to the second-half entering July. A 3-3 record over its first six games wasn't exactly what Madison had hoped for, though a two-game road sweep of a talented Willmar club from July 7-8 sparked what would eventually transform into a 16-11 month. The Mallards led the league in home runs (27) and OPS (.808) during their scintillating stretch of July contests.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWith nine games remaining in their regular-season schedule, the Mallards caught fire. Opening August with a decisive 6-1 victory over Wisconsin at the Duck Pond — a win made possible by Andrew Beckwith's (Coastal Carolina) career-high six strikeouts over seven innings of one-run ball — the Mallards strung together six consecutive victories to open the final month of the regular season before taking one of three from La Crosse in the season's final weekend. Madison's scorching final month clinched the division's second-best overall record, resulting in a number two playoff seed.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAdvancing to the South Division championship game after fending off the Green Bay Bullfrogs by a 3-2 score at the Duck Pond, a win that culminated with A.J. Bogucki (North Carolina) emphatically striking out the side in the top of the ninth, the Mallards made a quick turnaround to Simmons Field on Tuesday, August 11. Sterling Sharp (Drury University) and the Mallards pitching staff held the Kingfish to no runs through the first seven innings, though after allowing one run in the eighth saw their 2015 season end on a walk-off, RBI single by John Brodner in the bottom of the ninth.\n<\/p>\n