FOND DU LAC, WI – The Dock Spiders split Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Rivets, winning game one 4-3 and falling in game two 7-5.
Game 1
The Rivets (4-4) opened things up in the top of the second and went out to an early 2-0 lead.
The Dock Spiders (4-3) responded in their half of the second that started with a leadoff walk to Drew Stahl (University of Minnesota). After Stahl advanced to second on a stolen base, Victor Scott II (West Virginia University) roped a line drive double into right-center field that scored Stahl to make it 2-1. Two batters later, Ryan Ritter (University of Kentucky) lined a base hit to center that scored Scott II and tied it at two.
The 2-2 tie didn’t last long, as the Rivets took their lead right back in the third after scoring a run to go back on top 3-2.
The tug-of-war continued into the fourth where the Dock Spiders would eventually pull in front. Brayden Frazier (University of Iowa) started the inning with a walk. Scott II then reached on a fielding error that allowed Frazier to move safely to second and keep Scott II at first. Ritter came up again and notched a base hit again that loaded the bases with two men out. That brought up Sam Novitske (University of Oregon) who drew a walk on five pitches to plate Frazier and tie the game at three.
Taylor Jackson (University of Illinois) then came up with the bases still loaded a smoked a ball into center field that was caught, but Scott II tagged from third and scored to put the Dock Spiders in front and make it 4-3.
Consecutive scoreless innings in the 5th and 6th innings kept the game 4-3 going into the 7th, where Theo Denlinger (Bradley University) came in to close it out and secure a win in game one of the doubleheader.
Zack Lee (University of Kentucky) started game one and finished with four innings pitched, three runs (two earned) and three strikeouts. Jack Liffrig (University of Minnesota) came in for relief and received the win, posting two innings of shutout work with three strikeouts. Denlinger recorded the save, his second of the season, after throwing just 11 pitches and striking out one.
Game 2
The second game of the doubleheader featured more of the same back-and-forth action that game one had. This time, the Rivets got on the board right away in the first, again scoring two runs to go up before the Dock Spiders’ first plate appearances.
The Dock Spiders came up and tied the game in the 2nd inning, which started with Andrew Bullock (Charleston Southern University) reaching on a walk. That brought up Tate Kolwyck (Vanderbilt University), who drilled a 0-0 pitch into the right-center field gap that scored Bullock all the way from first and make it a 2-1 game. Scott II came up and dropped a base hit into right field that scored Kolwyck from second and tie the game at two apiece.
The fun continued for Fond du Lac the very next inning in the third with Parker Noland (Vanderbilt University) lining a double to left to start things off. Aaron Anderson (Liberty University) then launched a double that bounced off the left field wall that scored Noland from second to break the tie and put the Dock Spiders in front 3-2. John Rhodes (University of Kentucky) reached first on a walk to bring up Bullock, who grounded into a fielder’s choice that moved Anderson to third. A wild pitch with Kolwyck at the plate allowed Anderson to score to give the Dock Spiders a 4-2 lead. Kolwyck and Scott II both drew walks to load the bases, which brought up Jack Alexander (Austin Peay), who also drew a walk to bring in a run and make it 5-2 Fond du Lac.
The Rivets ended the fun for Fond du Lac after a big fourth inning that saw them score four runs on three hits to go out to a 6-5 lead. Rockford would tack on one more run in the 6th inning to extend their lead and go up 7-5.
The Dock Spiders were able to get two runners on in the 7th with two outs, but couldn’t work the magic and fell in the second game of the doubleheader, 7-5.
Fond du Lac will travel to Green Bay for the second time this week and take on the Booyah at 6:35 pm.
