Woodchucks Fall Just Short in Extra Innings

WAUSAU, WI – Looking for their fourth come-from-behind victory in as many games in the young 2021 season, the Wisconsin Woodchucks were on the short end of a back-and-forth, 12-inning marathon, falling 5-4 to the Madison Mallards.

With the automatic runner on second activated from the 10th inning, Madison plated the go-ahead run with a pair of fielders’ choices in the 11th. The Woodchucks responded a half-inning later as Norris McClure beat a throw to home from third to knot the game at 4. The Mallards once again went on top with a sacrifice fly in the 12th.

With the Chucks trailing in the ninth, Noah Fitzgerald started the rally by leading off with a leadoff double. Tyler Kehoe singled in the second baseman two batters later as the Chucks made it 3-3.

Thursday’s matchup was pushed back 10 minutes as the grounds crew tended to a dampened field after an afternoon shower passed through the area.

Starting pitcher Tyler Hoeft allowed an unearned run in the second inning on a bases loaded walk. Wisconsin answered in the home half of the inning as Fitzgerald drove in Tyler MacGregor.

Madison made it 2-1 with a fifth inning RBI single, and 3-1 with a single to right an inning later.

The Woodchucks cut the deficit in half with a sixth inning as Fitzgerald logged his second RBI single of Thursday’s matchup, scoring McClure from second. Wisconsin held the Mallards scoreless for the next three innings, setting up the late-game rally.

Top Performers

Starting Pitcher Tyler Hoeft teamed up with catcher and Washington State University teammate Louie Albrecht to strike out six Mallards in five innings. Hoeft allowed two runs, none earned.

Reliever Harley Gollert threw five frames, allowing one earned run while having five strikeouts. He escaped a runners on the corners, one-out jam in the eighth and kept the Chucks within arms length of the Mallards in the late innings.

Fitzgerald went 3-4 with two RBIs, scoring game-tying run in the ninth and having a stolen base. He also advanced McClure with a sacrifice bunt in the 11th.

Next Up

The Woodchucks commence a four-day road trip Friday with a two-game series at the Lakeshore Chinooks. The away stretch ends with two games at the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters before the Chucks are back at Athletic Park on Tuesday for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch against the Green Bay Booyah. The June 8 contest is the first Woody’s Reading Club Redemption Night of 2021.

For tickets, call us at 715.845.5055, stop by our front office, or visit woodchucks.com.

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The Wisconsin Woodchucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 27-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 200 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.woodchucks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Woodchucks as your favorite team.