FOND DU LAC, WI – It looked as though the Dock Spiders (13-11) were on their way to their third consecutive victory, but a six-run sixth inning from the Green Bay Booyah (12-12) knocked the wind out of Fondy as they fell 6-5.
The Dock Spiders were looking to sweep the home-and-home series against Green Bay, and got off to a great start with a three-run third inning.
Jack Alexander (Austin Peay University) led off the bottom of the third with a base hit and came in to score after Taylor Jackson (University of Illinois) sent an opposite-field line drive down the right-field line for a double that made it 1-0. The Booyah loaded the bases, and Parker Noland (Vanderbilt University) drew a walk that brought Ryan Ritter (University of Kentucky) home to plate another run for Fondy. The Dock Spiders made it 3-0 the next batter as John Rhodes (University of Kentucky) lifted a pop fly into center field that allowed Jackson to tag and score from third base.
Fond du Lac scored again in the bottom of the fifth, with Sam Novitske (University of Oregon) reaching second on an error to start the inning. Another opposite-field hit from Jackson moved Novitske to third base to put runners at the corners. Jackson attempted to steal second base in the next at-bat and was thrown out, but Novitske came home on the throw and scored to make it 4-0.
The wheels fell off for Fondy in the very next inning, as the Booyah batted around their order and brought in six runs on five hits to storm back and take a 6-4 lead all in one round of at-bats.
The Dock Spiders tried to start a comeback in the eighth inning, as Tim Elko (University of Mississippi) launched home run number four of the 2020 season into left field that made it a 6-5 game. Fondy would put a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth but couldn’t bring him home and saw their two-game winning streak come to an end in the 6-5 loss.
Ryan Bergert (West Virginia University) finished his start with five innings of work and six strikeouts. Grant Leonard (University of Iowa) tossed an inning and tw0-thirds and struck out three batters. Clay Brock (Central Michigan University) and Trace Hoffman (University of Iowa) pitched the last two innings and kept the Booyah off the board.
The Dock Spiders will be in Rockford for a two-game series with the Rivets, with the first game starting this afternoon at 3:05 pm, and game two on Monday at 6:05 pm.