Woodchucks Settle for Split in 5-4 Defeat
MADISON, WI – For the fifth time in as many series between the Wisconsin Woodchucks (31-21) and the Madison Mallards (26-25), the two teams left with a split.
The Mallards clawed back from a sixth-inning deficit to defeat the Woodchucks by a score of 5-4 Sunday afternoon, avenging last night’s 12-10 Woodchuck victory.
Neither team led by more than one run over the course of the back-and-forth game Sunday. Each team left 12 runners on base and squandered opportunities to seize control.
The Woodchucks scored first on Ryan Sepede’s sacrifice fly, plating Kilpatrick for the Woodchucks’ sixth consecutive game with a first inning run.
The Mallards took a 2-1 lead after three innings against starter Dylan MacCallum, who worked around four walks and three hits. It was a bend-don’t-break performance for the Bend, Oregon native, who took a no-decision.
Dom Murgo made his Woodchucks debut in relief, allowing one run and striking out two over two innings.
The Woodchucks retook the lead with two runs in the top of the sixth. Gino Groover’s RBI groundout brought home Anthony Catalano before Kilpatrick’s two-out single drove in Louie Albrecht.
All-star catcher Drake Baldwin delivered the game-winning hit for Madison in the bottom of the eighth. After reliever Jace Baumann was pulled, Mike Schicker stranded the bases loaded to keep the Chucks within one.
In the top of the ninth, a pair of two-out singles by Sepede (2-for-3) and Clayton Mehlbauer (2-for-4) brought the visitors within one hit of tying the score. Pinch-hitter Antonio Valdez grounded out to end the game.
Up Next
The Woodchucks will travel to Green Bay for a two-game series beginning Monday at 6:35 p.m. They will play the Booyah a total of five consecutive games over five days, including a double-header at Athletic Park at 5:05 p.m. Thursday.
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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.
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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]
