TYSON POTTS SHINES AS WAUSAU BEATS MADISON FOR FIRST TIME AT ATHLETIC PARK IN 2026

WAUSAU, WI—  The more things change, the more they sometimes stay the same, especially on the Fourth of July in Wausau.

For the fourth time in the last five years, Wausau was victorious on Independence Day after a 9-3 win over rivals Madison at Athletic Park on Saturday night. It was Wausau’s second win over the Mallards this season, and their first win over Madison at home in 2026.

Tyson Potts (Central Michigan) was the prime star of the night. The righthander threw a season-high 102 pitches without surrendering a run in 7.1 innings pitched. He also collected six strikeouts and walked just one hitter.

Lane Walton (Arkansas State) finished the game 2-4 with an RBI and an extra base hit. Brayden Mazzacano (Illinois) had two doubles, with an RBI and a run scored, and Peyton Firgens (McClennan CC/Mississippi State) reached three times and had two RBIs in a 2-4 performance at the plate.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning. After Madison went to their bullpen, the Woodchucks finally broke the deadlock when Lane Walton looped an RBI single into center field. Then, Max Soliz Jr. (Kansas) earned his first RBI in his third season with the Woodchucks with a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-0. The Woodchucks scored one more run in the frame when Lane Walton scored on a passed ball.

In the seventh, Wausau got more. Holden Groebl (Cowley CC/Kansas) led off with a walk, and Joey McLaughlin (Arkansas State) doubled to put both runners in scoring position. Peyton Firgens then delivered with a two-RBI single that put the Woodchucks up 5-0.

Then, in the eighth, the fireworks started to explode on offense. The Woodchucks started the frame with four extra base hits. Jackson Petsche (Southeastern CC/LSU-New Orleans), Max Soliz Jr., and Brayden Mazzacano all doubled, with Mazzacano and Soliz notching RBIs in the process. Holden Groebl was the next batter, and he finished off the night in style with a two-run home run into right field. The Mallards scored three runs in the ninth, but those were merely a consolation in the grand scheme of the game.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• Tyson Potts now has a streak of 22 consecutive innings where he has not surrendered an earned run.
• The Woodchucks six-run win is the largest margin of victory either team has had over the other in the 2026 season.
• The Woodchucks tied their season high for extra-base hits on the night with seven.
• Lane Walton has now registered three multi-hit performances in his first five games with Wausau.
• The Woodchucks have won four out of their first five games in both the first half and second half this season.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Woodchucks improve to 25-10 this summer, and are the third team in the Northwoods League to reach the 25-win mark. Wausau is now 4-1 in the second half, and sits a half game behind the Lakeshore Chinooks in the Great Lakes West standings. The Woodchucks now embark on a four-game road trip, which begins at Madison on Sunday afternoon. It’s the Woodchucks final trip to Warner Park in the regular season, and first pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m.

The Woodchucks will not return back to Athletic Park until after the All-Star break. Their next game at home will be on Saturday, July 11, when the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders come to town for a 5:05 p.m. first pitch. It’s Woody’s Reading Club Redemption Day #3 at the ballpark, which means students who took part in Woody’s Reading Club had a chance to earn a free ticket to the game. In addition, just like every Saturday night, it’s a Festival Foods Family Ticket Night, where fans can enjoy a $12 ticket which includes a brat and tap soda! Fans can purchase tickets to remaining Woodchucks home games in 2026 by visiting woodchucks.com.