MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Woodchucks (42-24) improved their playoff odds with a 6-2 win over the Madison Mallards (33-31) at Warner Park Sunday.
The win puts the Woodchucks on an inside track to qualify for their first playoff berth since 2014. They now sit 3.5 games ahead of Madison with less than a week to play in the regular season.
A third-inning rally turned the tide after the Woodchucks faced an early deficit. Trailing 2-0, the Woodchucks blitzed the Mallards for four runs in a span of three at-bats. Noah Fitzgerald’s double drove in Clayton Mehlbauer before coming around to score on Harrison Long’s RBI single.
The tie lasted only one pitch before Kevin Kilpatrick hit a two-run homer to left field. His sixth blast of the season proved decisive in the win, though he would add an RBI single in the top of the ninth. Kilpatrick’s 44 RBIs are fourth-best in the league.
Nick Marshall was efficient and effective over seven innings to earn his first win of the season. The Antigo native and future West Texas A&M righty struck out five and scattered eight hits in the victory.
Colin Millar earned the save after two scoreless innings of relief. The Spring Hill southpaw is now 4-for-4 in save opportunities, which ties the team lead.
Louie Albrecht turned in a multi-hit performance in his final game of the summer.
The Woodchucks split the season series with the Mallards at six games apiece. These two teams will not meet again, but are each still vying for the second playoff spot in the Great Lakes West Division.
Up Next
The Chucks return home tomorrow to begin a two-game series against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters at 6:35 p.m. The final three home games of the season will take place tomorrow, Tuesday and Thursday, all against the Rafters.
Wisconsin Woodchucks 6 @ Madison Mallards 2
Game Date: Sunday August 8th, 2021
| Final/9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodchucks | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 0 | |
| Mallards | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
W: Marshall (1-0, 4.66 ERA) L: Kalafut (1-2, 4.94 ERA) SV: Millar (4)
| Woodchucks | AB | R | H | RBI | YTD AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long, Harrison 2B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .304 |
| Kilpatrick, Kevin CF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | .327 |
| Burke, Jacob LF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .203 |
| McCabe, Ben 1B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .190 |
| Catalano, Anthony 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .215 |
| Simmons, Aaron RF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .273 |
| Mehlbauer, Clayton SS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .231 |
| Albrecht, Louie C | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .214 |
| Fitzgerald, Noah DH | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | .230 |
| 34 | 6 | 9 | 5 |
| Mallards | AB | R | H | RBI | YTD AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuhrman, Michael SS | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .276 |
| Moreno, Liam 3B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .257 |
| Benson, JT CF | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .276 |
| Shellenbarger, Bryant RF | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .309 |
| Dean, Tyler 1B | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | .287 |
| Smith, Zach DH | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .313 |
| Storbakken, Zach 2B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .207 |
| Szykowny, Charlie LF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .083 |
| Amory, Niko C | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .167 |
| 35 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
Wisconsin Woodchucks
2B: N. Fitzgerald 1 (6);
HR: K. Kilpatrick 1 (6);
RBI: N. Fitzgerald 1 (12); H. Long 1 (6); K. Kilpatrick 3 (44);
HBP: C. Mehlbauer 1 (3); A. Catalano 1 (6); N. Fitzgerald 1 (3);
SB: C. Mehlbauer 1 (10); A. Catalano 3 (11); L. Albrecht 1 (3); J. Burke 1 (10); H. Long 1 (6);
Team LOB: 6;
Madison Mallards
RBI: T. Dean 2 (15);
SB: L. Moreno 1 (2);
Team LOB: 11;
| Woodchucks | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | YTD ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall, Nick | 7.0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4.66 |
| – Millar, Colin | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0.64 |
| 9.0 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 0 |
| Mallards | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | YTD ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalafut, Joseph | 4.0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 4.94 |
| – Hauser, Joe | 1.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.84 |
| – Scannell, Matt | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| – Trout, Chaney | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11.37 |
| 9.0 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 1 |
Wisconsin Woodchucks
SO: N. Marshall 5 (21); C. Millar 3 (15);
BB: N. Marshall 3 (10); C. Millar 2 (9);
BF: N. Marshall 31 (89); C. Millar 9 (60);
P-S: N. Marshall 104-66; C. Millar 40-23;
Madison Mallards
WP: J. Hauser 1 (3);
HB: J. Kalafut 2 (4); M. Scannell 1 (2);
SO: J. Kalafut 6 (20); M. Scannell 2 (9); C. Trout 3 (7);
BB: J. Hauser 1 (14); M. Scannell 1 (3);
BF: J. Kalafut 16 (103); J. Hauser 8 (51); M. Scannell 7 (19); C. Trout 9 (33);
P-S: J. Kalafut 74-45; J. Hauser 26-15; M. Scannell 27-17; C. Trout 33-24;
Umpires: Plate: J. Osborne 1B: P. Swartz 3B: J. Osborne
Weather: Overcast
Start time: 1:05 pm (Central)
Duration: 02:52:46
Attendance: 3863
Venue: Warner Park
| Great Lakes East | W | L | PCT | GB | STREAK | LAST 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kokomo Jackrabbits | 41 | 25 | .621 | – | 3W | 7-3 |
| Traverse City Pit Spitters | 39 | 27 | .591 | 2.0 | 2W | 6-4 |
| Kenosha Kingfish | 37 | 29 | .561 | 4.0 | 2W | 6-4 |
| Rockford Rivets | 27 | 38 | .415 | 13.5 | 3L | 5-5 |
| Kalamazoo Growlers | 25 | 41 | .379 | 16.0 | 2L | 3-7 |
| Battle Creek Bombers | 22 | 44 | .333 | 19.0 | 5L | 2-8 |
| Great Lakes West | W | L | PCT | GB | STREAK | LAST 10 |
| Wisconsin Woodchucks | 42 | 24 | .636 | – | 1W | 7-3 |
| Fond du Lac Dock Spiders | 41 | 25 | .621 | 1.0 | 1L | 6-4 |
| Madison Mallards | 33 | 31 | .516 | 8.0 | 1L | 6-4 |
| Wisconsin Rapids Rafters | 34 | 32 | .515 | 8.0 | 7W | 8-2 |
| Lakeshore Chinooks | 27 | 38 | .415 | 14.5 | 2L | 2-8 |
| Green Bay Booyah | 25 | 40 | .385 | 16.5 | 1W | 2-8 |
| Great Plains East | W | L | PCT | GB | STREAK | LAST 10 |
| Waterloo Bucks | 40 | 23 | .635 | – | 5W | 8-2 |
| Duluth Huskies | 26 | 36 | .419 | 13.5 | 1W | 5-5 |
| La Crosse Loggers | 25 | 37 | .403 | 14.5 | 1L | 5-5 |
| Eau Claire Express | 24 | 38 | .387 | 15.5 | 5L | 2-8 |
| Minnesota Mud Puppies | 9 | 25 | .265 | 16.5 | 1W | 5-5 |
| Great Plains West | W | L | PCT | GB | STREAK | LAST 10 |
| St. Cloud Rox | 46 | 16 | .742 | – | 1L | 7-3 |
| Mankato MoonDogs | 40 | 21 | .656 | 5.5 | 2W | 5-5 |
| Rochester Honkers | 29 | 32 | .475 | 16.5 | 1W | 4-6 |
| Bismarck Larks | 28 | 33 | .459 | 17.5 | 1L | 3-7 |
| Willmar Stingers | 29 | 35 | .453 | 18.0 |
