Northwoods Madison Mallards

Bullfrogs Score Early to Knock off Mallards

August 5, 2011 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Madison Mallards News Release


MADISON, WI - The Madison Mallards were defeated by the Green Bay Bullfrogs 6- 2 Thursday night in front of 6,636 fans at the "Duck Pond." Green Bay was able to pull ahead of the Mallards by scoring five runs in the first two innings and never trailed in the game. The Mallards now sit 2.5 games back of the Bullfrogs for first place in the South Division standings.

The game was billed as a pitcher's duel, as both starters came into play Thursday with earned run averages under 2.30. Green Bay was able to change that stat line very quickly in the first inning, scoring three runs off of Madison starter Estevan Uriegas (Texas A&M). Singles by Steven Halcomb (Gonzaga) and Jacob May (Coastal Carolina) set the table right from the get-go, and both would come in on a bloop triple by Phillip Ervin (Samford). Ervin would also score in the inning as pitcher-turned- infielder Andy Hunter (Gonzaga) singled him in for his 14th RBI on the season.

Green Bay was not done, and proved so by scoring twice more in the second. Alec Mehrten (Fresno Pacific) and Nick Stein (Coe College) both scored in the inning, and May drove in his 21st run of the season to make the score 5-0.

Madison would rally nicely in the bottom of the second behind hits from Jordan Owen (Tennessee - Martin) and Andrew Wasmund (Madison College) to score two runs and cut the deficit to three runs. Owen ans Zack Powers (Florida) scored the runs in the inning.

Down 5-2, the Mallards picked up some momentum throughout the middle stages of the game and it felt as though the team would finally break through to make things interesting, but Paul Hoenecke (Wisconsin - Milwaukee) quickly put an end to any thoughts of a comeback by hitting his sixth home run of the season in the fifth.

Pitching took over from that point in the game, as the bullpens for each team faired well, and no further offensive damage was done.

Overall, Green Bay out-hit the Mallards 14-3, and everyone in the Bullfrogs' lineup produced at least one base hit.The Bullfrogs also had 16 total base runners, doubling the Mallards' total of eight.

Green Bay was led by Hoenecke, who went 3-for-4 with the solo blast. Ervin had two RBI as the designated hitter, and the trio of May, Hunter, and Stein rounded out the group of hitters who had multiple base knocks.

The Mallards were led by Wasmund, who was 1-for-3 with the team's lone RBI. Owen and Powers had the other two hits.

Uriegas took the loss for the Mallards after going 4.1 innings. He allowed all six runs (five earned) on 11 hits. Uriegas (3-2) also walked one had two strikeouts, and raised his ERA (now 3.25) by almost a full run. Travis Parker (St. Louis) and Tony Bryant (Oregon State) pitched the final 4.2 innings and allowed no runs on just three hits, walking no batters and striking out four.

Bullfrogs' starter AJ Gaura (Iowa Western Community College) lived up to his end of the pre-game pitching hype, going five innings and allowing the two runs on three hits. Gaura (2-3) walked two and struck out five.

The Mallards and Bullfrogs have two more games remaining in the critical series. Game two will be played Friday in a 7:05 p.m. contest in Madison, and Saturday's series finale will be in Green Bay at Johannes Stadium in another 7:05 p.m. start.



Northwoods League Stories from August 5, 2011


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