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Northwoods Madison Mallards

Solid Pitching Leads Mallards Over Rafters 3-2

June 2, 2011 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Madison Mallards News Release


WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI - June 2, 2011. One night after defeating Wisconsin Rapids in the first game of the season, the Madison Mallards returned to Witter Field Thursday and outplayed the Rafters yet again, knocking off their counterparts 3-2 in front of 886 fans in attendance. With the win, the Mallards improved 2-0 on the young season. The loss drops the Rafters to 0-2.

Pitching led the way for the Mallards for the second night in a row, as starting pitcher Chris Burgess (Blackhawk College) went seven complete innings, giving up only two runs on five hits. The right-handed hurler did not walk a batter and struck out eight Rafters' hitters earning the win.

"Chris was lights out tonight," Mallards field manager Greg Labbe said after the game. "He was really sharp and kept a good pace throughout the whole night. Other than the two mistakes he made, his command was fantastic and he carried us to the victory."

One of those two mistakes by Burgess (1-0) was a solo home run by Rafters catcher Kyle Peterson (Eastern Michigan) to lead off the seventh inning. The blast by Peterson was his second in as many nights, but it proved to be the only major spark for Rapids offensively.

"I'm proud of our pitching staff," claimed Labbe. "The Rafters gave us a lot of tough situations over the last two nights, and to only give up four total runs at this point is something that I know our guys take a lot of pride in."

Also coming in to shut down Wisconsin Rapids was Tom Windle (Minnesota) and Travis Parker (St. Louis). Combined, the two relievers faced seven total batters in two innings, did not allow a hit, walked no batters and struck out three. Windle pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, and Parker pitched around an error in the ninth to notch his first save of the season.

For a while, the game looked like it was going to be a classic pitcher's duel as Rafters' starter Brad Douthit (USC) looked sharp early on. He tallied six strikeouts through three innings and appeared to be untouchable until the Mallards got to him the second time through the order. Douthit (0-1) ended up taking the loss, but did well. He went six innings, allowing only five hits, had no walks, and amassed eight punchouts. He was responsible for all three of the Mallards' runs.

"Douthit was sharp and caught us off guard. We weren't patient at first, but as we settled down, the guys held off on some swings and woreked the count a little bit," said Labbe. "We had to approach his stuff with confidence and not be afraid up there, and that attitdue paid off for us in the middle innings."

Second baseman Mike McQuillan (Iowa) led the way offensively for the Mallards. The defending Northwoods League Player of the Night had three of the seven total hits, including his first extra base hit of the season. His RBI infield single in the fifth inning also proved to be the game-winner.

"Mike is fun to watch," Labbe said. "He's seeing the ball really well right now and he's not trying to do too much. Not only is he hitting the ball, but he does a good job on the bases and he also plays good defense."

The Mallards did have some struggles Thursday, striking out a total of nine times. They also left six guys on base and went 1-6 with runners in scoring position.

"We were definitely too aggressive with runners in scoring position tonight, but if we can be patient and have good all-around approaches, I think we'll be okay," Labbe said.

The Mallards will have another go at the Rafters tomorrow night at Witter Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:35 p.m.

By the Numbers

The Mallards scored all of their runs with two outs tonight. Jordan Owen had the biggest two-out hit for the team, with a two-RBI single in the fourth inning.

With his three hits tonight, Mike McQuillan is now 7-9 on the season, good for a .778 batting average to start the 2011 campaign.

The Mallards' pitching staff kept the ball in the infield on Thursday. Only four outs were recorded in the outfield.

Defensively, the Mallards turned in five three-up, three-down innings after having only two 1-2-3 frames on opening night.

All of the teams that won in the South Division of the Northwoods League last night also won tonight, leaving a four-way tie for first place in the standings.

The Madison Mallards are members of the 16-team summer collegiate Northwoods League and will play a 70-game schedule in the new-and-improved "Duck Pond" beginning on Opening Day, June 7th against the Wisconsin Woodchucks at 7:05p.m.

Single-game tickets for the 2011 season are now on sale! Fans can purchase tickets one of three ways: 1) online by clicking here, 2) over the phone by calling the ticket office at 608.316.DUCK (3825), or 3) in-person at the "Duck Pond" weekdays 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. & 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday's. Group tickets, including hospitality areas perfect for company outings are on sale as well.



Northwoods League Stories from June 2, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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