Madison Mallards fall short in thrilling match against Wisconsin Rapids Rafters

Wisconsin Rapids, WI – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (29-29) defeated the Madison Mallards (40-18) 3-1 on Sunday afternoon in the twelfth and final regular season game between the two teams.

Scoring was difficult, as both starting pitchers were fixated on the mound. Mallards starter Elliot Cadieux Lanoue (Iowa) allowed just one run in five innings of work, striking out five. Rafters starter Maddox Thornton (Texas A&M – Corpus Christi) threw six shutout innings, striking out six.

It took until the fifth inning for the first run of the game to be scored, thanks to an RBI single by Aidan Teel (Virginia), giving the Rafters a 1-0 lead.

The Mallards were able to fight back and tie the game in the eighth inning when Jacob Schroeder (Illinois) scored on a fielder’s choice. The Rafters answered in the eighth inning, however, when a pair of runs were scored on a single by Kyler McIntosh (Alabama State) to make it 3-1 for Wisconsin Rapids. The Rafters held on in the ninth inning to secure the victory.

JC Dermody (Wichita State) was credited with the win in relief for the Rafters, his second of the season. Liam McKillop (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville) was blamed for the loss.

With the loss, the Mallards fall to 16-8 in the second half and remain in second place in the Great Lakes West Division, a game and a half behind top-ranked Wausau. The Rafters improve to 14-11 and sit in third place.

After a day off on Monday, the Mallards return to Warner Park to take on the Kenosha Kingfish on Tuesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m.