FOND DU LAC, WI – For the fifth time in ten games, the Dock Spiders have blown a lead en route to their fifth consecutive loss.
The loss drops the Spiders to a 3-7 record.
Wisconsin Rapids opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd with an RBI single from Jake Guenther (Sacramento City CC). The lead was erased when Fondy scored a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run from Spiders catcher Nick Fortes (Ole Miss). The long ball was Fortes’ first of the season.
Tristan Baker (Western Carolina) surrendered just the one run through his five innings while striking out seven batters.
The Spiders gave Baker run support in the 6th inning. The three run inning was capped off by Eric Gilgenbach’s (Notre Dame) 2-run home run that gave the Dock Spiders a 4-1 lead. Gilgenbach is now tied for second in home runs with four.
Three runs wasn’t enough as the Rafters scored three of their own in the 7th inning to knot the game up at four a piece.
Back and forth the two teams went. Fondy regained the lead in the bottom of the 7th with an RBI single from Carson Bartels (Heartland CC).
The rain began to fall at Marian University’s Herr-Baker Field in the 8th inning in the midst of a four run rally from the Rafters. The tarp was pulled onto the field directly after the Rafters tied the game with a bloop single that was lost in the rain and lights.
The tarp was removed and the Rafters pulled away thanks to a two run double off the bat of Christian Jones (Campbell). Wisconsin Rapids would add one more, and close the door in the ninth to escape with their seventh straight win.
Fond du Lac now drops to 3-7 and will travel to Rockford to play the Rivets tomorrow night at 6:35. Adam Eck (Edgewood College) gets the start seeking his second win of the season.
Season ticket packages, group outings, and individual game tickets for the 2017 season are on sale now and may be purchased from the Dock Spiders ticket office (located at 980 E Division St.). Fans may order tickets in person or over the phone by calling (920) 907-9833between 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday through Friday. Tickets are also available any time in the ticket section of dockspiders.com.
The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League.The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 170 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.dockspiders.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Dock Spiders as your favorite team.
