For Wausau Pilot & Review

MADISON – The playoff-bound Wausau Woodchucks wrapped up their regular-season Northwoods League schedule with a 9-3 loss to the Madison Mallards on Saturday night.

The Woodchucks finish their regular season with a record of 38-33, are heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2014, and have completed back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2008.

Most of the offense came early in Saturday’s contest in front of a sellout crowd at Warner Park.

The Woodchucks grabbed the lead thanks to an RBI single by Bradley Comer (UW-Stevens Point) in the top of the first.

Korey Bunselmeyer (Illinois) worked two innings in his first and final start of the summer. He allowed two runs and three hits, striking out two and getting help from a Dwight Allen (Georgia) outfield assist.

The Woodchucks tied the game in the third when a bloop single by Travis Stapleton (Polk State) plated Allen. But the Mallards regained the lead with a two-run inning in the bottom half.

In the fourth, the Woodchucks scored a run on a groundout by Maurice Gomez (Keiser), which allowed Drew Stengren (Central Michigan) to score.

But the Mallards would pull away in the bottom of the inning, thanks in large part to a three-run homer by Chad McCann (Campbellsville). Dylan Ackermann (Loras) was the losing pitcher for Wausau, allowing six runs (five earned) over two innings. When he left the game, Madison led 8-3.

Neither team would score again until the eighth inning. Relievers Christian Orr (Columbia International) and Logan Snow (Menlo) fired scoreless frames before Tyler Cox (Eckerd) made his debut outing on the mound. The two-way player had exclusively hit and played third base over his previous 18 appearances for Wausau.

Garret Hill (North Dakota State) pitched for the first time in his collegiate career in the eighth, surrendering one run. Manager Corey Thompson elected to save the rest of his bullpen for the upcoming playoff series against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.

The Woodchucks will host the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in Game 1 of the best-of-three sub-divisional playoff series on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. at Athletic Park. The Woodchucks were 2-10 against the Rafters this summer, but no team has been hotter in the month of August than the Woodchucks – who are 9-3 since the calendar turned.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://northwoodsleague.com/wausau-woodchucks/.