FOND DU LAC, WI – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders fell in 12 innings to the Lakeshore Chinooks at Kapco Park on Friday night, as the Chinooks scored the final five runs of the ballgame to win 9-8.
The Dock Spiders failed to score a run over the three extra innings, while the Chinooks failed to tally a run in the 10th and 11th before an RBI single to right with the bases loaded and one out in the 12th ended the game.
The loss drops the Dock Spiders to 8-3 on the season, two games behind the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, who won their 10th straight game tonight. The Chinooks improve to 3-8 on the season, winning their first one-run ballgame of the year.
After a solo home run in the first from Lakeshore, the Dock Spiders tallied two runs in the third off an RBI base hit from Nick Mitchell (Western Illinois) and an RBI groundout from Alejandro Macario (Nova Southeastern). They would then score four more in the fourth off three hits and an error, including a two-RBI base hit from Mitchell. Mitchell recorded three RBI on the night to take the team lead with 12, and also tallied his sixth multi-hit game of the year, also a team-high.
The Chinooks would tally three in the bottom of the fourth after a two-run home run and an error. The Dock Spiders would jump back with a run in the fifth and sixth, but Lakeshore would answer by scoring their first two of five unanswered runs with a two-run double in the seventh.
In the eighth, Mitchell would keep the Dock Spiders ahead by throwing out the game-tying run at the plate after a single to left-field. Evan Smith (West Virginia) would then save the game in the ninth after a leadoff game-tying home run by throwing out the game-winning run at third.
In extra innings, both teams combined for 12 strikeouts, including five from Christian Ruebeck (Kansas State), who twice worked his way out of a jam to keep the game going. Ruebeck struck out back-to-back hitters in the 10th with the bases loaded, and then stranded the placed runner on second after two strikeouts in the 11th.
The Dock Spiders will look to split the two-game series tomorrow night with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m in Mequon.
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’ 28th 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 280 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 (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit dockspiders.com 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.
