Wausau Woodchucks
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau Woodchucks (37-32) took down the Madison Mallards (25-45) 2-1 to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2014 on Friday.
Jace Baumann (UW-Stout) led the Woodchucks into the pitcher’s duel with a strong seven innings of work, only allowing three hits and striking out 4, with 55 of his 81 pitches being strikes. No hits would be allowed by either pitcher until the 6th inning.
The first Woodchuck hit would come in the bottom of the 7th inning in a single drilled off the bat of Tyler Cox (Eckerd), followed by an error resulting in two runners on base for the Chucks. Neither would cross the plate as the game headed into the 8th inning.
Wausau would load the bases in the bottom 8th inning for Cox. He put up his second hit of the game and drove in Drew Stengren (Central Michigan), with Jc Ng (Ponoma-Pitzer) scoring on the throw, putting the Chucks in the lead with a score of 2-1. The Mallards would put runners on the corners in the top of the 9th inning, but couldn’t bring them around to score, allowing the Chucks to take a monumental victory and clinch a spot in the playoffs.
Game one of the best-of-three sub-division series against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters at 5:05 PM Sunday at Athletic Park. Gates will open at 4:05 PM. Tickets can be purchased online at https://wausau-woodchucks.
Game two will be Monday in Rapids, along with the if necessary game three. The winner will play either the Traverse City Pit Spitters or Kalamazoo Growlers in the one-game Great Lakes Division Championship.
The Great Plains Division playoffs have the St Cloud Rox taking on the Willmar Stingers and the Eau Claire Express playing the Duluth Huskies.
Division winners will meet in the one-game league championship either Thursday, August 17th or Friday, August 18th. The exact date will depend on weather and travel requirements for the two teams playing in the title game.
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