FOND DU LAC, WI – In the ninth inning, the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders sent up the tying run twice, but failed to come back in a 9-6 loss to the Wausau Woodchucks at home.
The loss was the fourth in a row for the Dock Spiders, who now sit five games back of the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in the Great Lakes West Division. The Woodchucks, meanwhile, won their second straight game, taking both games against the Dock Spiders.
Evan Stone (South Carolina) and Cash Rugely (Kansas State) both tallied a multi-hit game, with Stone becoming the third different Dock Spider to tally a four hit game this year.
The Woodchucks started where they left off yesterday, hitting a two-run home run in the second and a three-run homer in the third to take an early 5-0 lead. The two home runs gave the Woodchucks six over their two games against the Dock Spiders.
The Dock Spiders fought back with two runs in the fifth off the first of two RBI doubles from Kyte McDonald (Wichita State) and an RBI single from Stone. Wausau would get the two runs back with a single run in both the seventh and eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Dock Spiders were able to cut the deficit to one, after an RBI single from Luke Novitske (Cal State East Bay, a sacrifice fly from Jared Payne (Charleston Southern) and another RBI double from McDonald.
The Woodchucks tallied two runs in the ninth off a triple to the left-center field wall. The Dock Spiders would score a run in the bottom half of the ninth off Woodchucks closer Cade Denton (Oral Roberts). The earned run was his first run allowed of the summer after he allowed two in 43.2 innings this spring. Denton would then retire back-to-back hitters to end the game.
Tomorrow, the Dock Spiders continue their three game homestand with the series opener against the Rafters. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.
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.
