Woodchuck Bats Quiet Late in Loss to Mallards
MADISON, WI – The Wausau Woodchucks couldn’t recover from an early deficit in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Madison Mallards Tuesday night.
The loss is the third straight for the Woodchucks (10-13) who scored their only run in the first inning for a second time in three games.
After Hunter Dorraugh (San Jose State) was hit by a pitch, Mark Shallenberger (Evansville) drove him in with a two-out RBI single. The base hit extended Shallenberger’s on-base streak to a perfect 14 for 14 appearances.
The Mallards tied the game in the bottom of the first before scoring in each of the next four frames to take control. Starter Jared Burch (Houston Baptist) was charged with his third loss of the season after surrendering five earned runs over three-plus innings. Despite four strikeouts, he left a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning which was inherited by Ben Abernathy (West Virginia).
The former Mountaineer and future UAB Blazer would strand all three runners before cruising through the rest of the game. He faced the minimum over four and two-thirds innings, retiring 14 batters on just 45 pitches and tallying three strikeouts.
But the offense couldn’t rally behind the bullpen. Cal Hejza (Illinois) and Zach Levenson (Miami) each doubled in the late innings but were stranded in scoring position. The Woodchucks were 0-for-2 on stolen base attempts and the Madison bullpen held firm.
Kevin Kilpatrick (Houston) extended his hitting streak to five in the loss. Brock Watkins (BYU) added to his team lead by recording his 15th hit of the season.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
