The Battle Creek Bombers left the bases loaded on three separate occasions as they fell to the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders 10-6 in Wisconsin on Thursday night.

After taking a 13-0 beating on Wednesday in Madison, the Battle Creek offense responded early and often in the first frame. Run-scoring hits from Trace Peterson and Kolby Johnson, coupled with Mac Graybill’s first RBI as a Bomber, gave Battle Creek a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Fond du Lac would respond immediately, though. Eight Dock Spiders were sent to the plate off of Battle Creek starter Blaine Parker, and four runs in the frame gave Fond du Lac a lead they would never relinquish. 

Battle Creek had a chance to take the lead in the third inning by loading the bases, but Fond du Lac shortstop Charlie Maxwell made a diving stop on a ground ball and initiated an inning-ending double play. Two more runs in the fourth inning bolstered the Dock Spiders lead, but the Bombers would respond right back with two runs in the fifth. Grabyill added another run-scoring single to move the deficit back to one.

Not to be outdone, though, the Dock Spiders responded right back with two in the bottom of the fifth. Duncan Hunter unleashed a double to score a pair of runs, and Fond du Lac regained their three-run lead. Trace Peterson allowed two unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, sending the game to the ninth with Battle Creek down by five. 

Battle Creek rallied against reliever River Carbone, but an RBI single by Caleb Balgaard was not enough. Fond du Lac won their sixth consecutive game, and the first meeting with Battle Creek in over two months. The Bombers and Dock Spiders split a two-game series at C.O. Brown Stadium on May 30 and 31. Battle Creek and Fond du Lac meet for the final time on Friday night at 6:35 Central Time.