The Madison Mallards returned from Eau Claire June 16 to host a four-game weekend homestand against the St. Cloud River Bats and Thunder Bay Border Cats. And while matters began on a high note, with a 7-2 victory over St. Cloud Thursday evening, the Duck Pond soon turned sour as the Minnesota squad got vengeance — like a River Bat out of hell — by way of an 8-2 blowout the following day, and the Border Cats then clawed their way to a hard-fought 3-2 Saturday victory over the Mallards before completing the sweep with a 4-1 Sunday win.
"We're doing things — we're just not sharp enough when we got situations to take care of offensively," Mallards manager CJ Thieleke said after the Saturday loss. "We're putting good swings on the ball — we're hitting the ball hard, right at people. We're just in one of those funks right now where we're putting good swings on the ball, having good at bats, just not having a lot to show for it as far as runs."
The Thursday evening affair with the River Bats was highlighted by a five-run eighth inning for the Mallards, giving the squad all the fuel it would need to pull ahead of St. Cloud and never look back. Entering the game with an 11-3 record in the Northwoods League, the Mallards found themselves tied 2-2 with the River Bats going into the penultimate inning. But a critical pinch-hit RBI from slugger Randy Molina — batting over .400 on the season — put the Madison squad ahead 3-2. Four more runs put the Mallards in absolute control and the ninth inning quickly became a moot point as St. Cloud failed to put a single tally on the board.
Friday the Mallards again took to the Duck Pond to face the River Bats, but a six-run fourth inning from the Minnesota squad put Madison behind, and the team would never recover.
"That's the mentality we talked about from day one — we got to stay away from big innings, give up a run here and a run there and we'll be alright," Thieleke said. "But meantime they put a crooked number up there, it's going to make things tough."
When the Border Cats came to Warner Park Saturday, the suspense heightened. With the Thunder Bay squad sitting in first place in the North Division and Madison occupying the coveted slot in the South Division, the game promised to be contentious. When the ninth inning concluded with the affair knotted at two runs apiece, the match truly lived up to the hype. But the best drama of the evening was yet to come.
The Border Cats put one run on the board in the top of the 10th, inserting fear into the hearts of the more than 6,000 Mallards faithful gathered at the Duck Pond. But as the home team took to the plate for the bottom of the 10th, the hope abounded.
With two outs in the 10th inning, Madison had the bases loaded. A single would tie — if not win — the game. Thieleke called in his best weapon — taking star slugger Randy Molina off the bench for a critical pinch hit.
The Border Cats had Shawn Williams — their closer — on the mound. Williams worked the count against Molina until two strikes were levied against the batter. A collective hush could be heard throughout Warner Park.
But there was no joy in Madison, as mighty Randy struck out.
