Woodchucks lose 5-4 to Madison to open homestand

Wausau, WIS – The Wisconsin Woodchucks scored four runs on three hits and three Madison Mallards errors in the bottom of the seventh inning Sunday to close to within one run, but they couldn't pull any closer and lost, 5-4, to Madison at Athletic Park in Wausau.

Steele Walker (Oklahoma) had two hits in his 'Chucks debut, including a seventh inning single that hit the top of the wall in right field and came up a few feet short of home run distance.

With runners on the corners and two outs in the seventh, the 'Chucks decided to try a risky double steal in an attempt to tie the score. Walker took off for second and slid in with his second steal of the afternoon. After the throw to second, Stevie Mangrum (Virginia Tech) sprinted to the plate, only to be thrown out a few feet from scoring.

Scott Parker (San Francisco) took the hard-luck loss for the Woodchucks after he threw six innings and allowed four runs (only two earned) while striking out six. Parker allowed 11 Madison hits, but 10 of them were singles.

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The Wisconsin Woodchucks 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.wisconsinwoodchucks.com.