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Northwoods Madison Mallards

Bower, Mallards Aim for Fourth Straight Win against Kingfish

June 20, 2015 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Madison Mallards News Release


Madison, Wis. - A day after watching A.J. Bogucki (North Carolina) spin his best outing of the summer - 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K - en route to a series-opening triumph over the Kenosha Kingfish (19-6) on Friday, the Madison Mallards (13-11) will shoot for a two-game sweep of their South Division opponent Saturday night at Warner Park. This evening will be Military Appreciation Night at the stadium, featuring Hy-Vee post-game fireworks. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

Mallards field manager Donnie Scott will grant left-handed pitcher Matt Bower (Washington State) his fourth start of the season in tonight's finale. Albeit in a losing effort, the 6-foot-5 southpaw drafted by the Houston Astros in the 23rd round of this month's MLB Draft crafted an impressive outing June 8 against Kenosha, ceding just one earned run on three hits with six strikeouts across six frames. Overall, Bower is 1-1 with a 4.02 ERA and K/9 ratio of 12.4, stifling opponents to the tune of a .220 batting average thus far.

"He left some pitches up," Scott said of Bower's June 14 start against Green Bay, one in which he allowed six earned runs across 2.2 innings. "But you've got to tip your cap (to the Bullfrogs) - they were aggressive early in the count and he was just trying to get the ball over the plate. He still had good stuff, but they were really aggressive against him."

To counter Bower, Kenosha will assign right-handed pitcher Rico Garcia (Hawaii Pacific) with his second start of the summer. Garcia, a 5-foot-11 native of Kapolei, Hi., blanked the Wisconsin Woodchucks across five frames in his first appearance on June 14, allowing just three hits and one walk to compliment seven punchouts in a winning decision. As a sophomore this past spring, Garcia went 6-4 with a 2.18 ERA across 10 collegiate starts, limiting hitters to a .186 batting average and impressive K/9 mark of 10.6.

Mallards Cease the Streak - Madison's 3-0 victory in Friday's series opener not only concluded Kenosha's six-game win streak, but also marked the first time this summer an opponent has held the Kingfish to zero runs in a contest. Overall, Mallards pitchers limited a Kenosha's lineup to a 5-for-31 (.161) performance in the key victory.

Gonsolin Grabs Elite Status - Anthony Gonsolin (St. Mary's College) provided a 2-for-4 batting line as Madison's designated hitter in Friday's victory, a performance that included his team-high third home run of the 2015 season. The 6-foot-2 outfielder is has gone 10-for-21 with 5 RBI at the dish across his last five games, raising his season average to .338 and OPS to .945 (sixth and tenth highest in the South Division, respectively).

For tickets to tonight's game, call the Mallards ticket office at 608-246-4277 or visit www.MallardsBaseball.com for more information. Unable to attend? Follow the Mallards on Twitter at @MadisonMallards for notes and updates or tune in to 100.5 FM ESPN Madison for comprehensive play-by-play coverage.



Northwoods League Stories from June 20, 2015


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