WAUSAU, WI – Looking for their fourth come-from-behind victory in as many games in the young 2021 season, the Wisconsin Woodchucks forced extra innings with a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth.
Noah Fitzgerald led off the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff double. Tyler Kehoe singled in the second baseman two batters later as the Chucks made it 3-3.
The Chucks have allowed just one earned run, with unearned runs in the second and fifth frames still potentially swinging the contest.
The Woodchucks can earn a two-game series split with the Mallards after Wednesday night’s walkoff home run by Brandon Trammell. With a win, they would earn the sweep.
Both teams have left nine runners on base.
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 a 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 base hit to right field 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 Norris McClure from second. They held the Mallards scoreless for the next three innings, setting up the game-tying run in the ninth.
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 has thrown four frames, allowing one earned run while having four strikeouts and escaping a runners on the corners, one-out jam in the eighth.
Fitzgerald is 3-4 with two RBIs, a stolen base and the game-tying run.
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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]
