FOND DU LAC, WI – After allowing 11 runs in the first three innings, the Dock Spiders (9-8) roared back and scored nine runs in the last four innings to stun the Rafters (12-6) and win a wild Saturday afternoon contest, 13-11.
The Rafters’ bats would waste no time in getting on the board, scoring six runs on five hits in the top of the 1st to get out to an early 6-0 lead.
The Dock Spiders started up their offense in the bottom of the second, starting with an RBI-double from Victor Scott II (West Virginia University), his fourth RBI of the year that made it 3-1. Ryan Ritter (University of Kentucky) brought home another run after reaching on a fielder’s choice. The Dock Spiders drew to within three after Sam Novitske (University of Oregon) drove in Scott from third to make it a 6-3 game.
The Rafters pulled away and poured it on in the third inning, scoring five runs on five hits and batting around the order to put the Dock Spiders down, 11-3. The Rafters would only muster two more hits over the next six innings.
Scott II would start the slow comeback for Fond du Lac, hitting his second RBI-double of the game in the bottom of the third to make it 11-4.
One of the highlights of Saturday’s game came in the bottom of the fifth when Tim Elko (University of Mississippi) launched a drive into right field and slid into third for a leadoff triple, becoming just the second Dock Spider this season to earn a three-bagger (Sam Novitske). Elko would score after Parker Noland (Vanderbilt University) grounded out to second.
Novitske notched RBI number two of the day after sending a liner into right field that plated a run to bring the Dock Spiders another run closer in an 11-6 game.
Fondy broke things open the very next inning, pushing seven runs across on only four hits to take the lead. The Dock Spiders batted around the order and walked five times in the seventh. Brayden Frazier (University of Iowa) started the scoring in the inning with a single to right that scored Noland. Ritter drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in another run, followed by a single to right from Novitske to plate another and make it 11-9. That’s when John Rhodes (University of Kentucky) delivered a two-RBI single to left that tied the ballgame at 11.
Elko reached on a walk to load the bases, followed by consecutive walks to Noland and Aaron Anderson (Liberty University) that allowed two more runs to come in for the Dock Spiders to cap off the seven-run inning and give them the 13-11 lead.
The Rafters managed one hit in the ninth, a leadoff single, but the defense helped Nate Thomas (Northern Illinois University) out and spun a perfect 4-6-3 double play, their third turn of the day, to get two quick outs. Another batter reached on a walk, but Ritter secured a pop fly in shallow left to complete the epic comeback and secure the 13-11 Dock Spiders victory.
The Dock Spiders’ pitching staff combined for nine strikeouts on the day, led by Ryan Duffy (University of Minnesota), who struck out three in three innings. Trace Hoffman (University of Iowa) fanned two batters in two innings and allowed only one hit to record the win and move to 2-2. Thomas allowed only one hit in the ninth to get his third save of the year.
The Dock Spiders will travel to Wausau tomorrow to finish their July 2nd game against the Wisconsin Woodchucks and play their originally scheduled July 19th game in seven innings. Game one will start from the fourth inning at 1:05 pm, the same time that the game was postponed back on the 2nd. Game two will start thirty minutes after game one and will be played in seven innings.
The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 26th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 230 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB All-Star Jordan Zimmermann (DET). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. 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.
