FOND DU LAC, WI – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters tallied a season-high 17 runs and 23 hits as the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders fell at Herr-Baker Field, 17-2.
The loss was the fifth in a row for the Dock Spiders, while the Rafters tied their franchise record with their 14th straight win. The Rafters continue to stay at the top of the Great Lakes West Division, while the Dock Spiders fall to 8-7 on the year, six games behind Wisconsin Rapids.
The Rafters tallied a run in seven of their nine innings at the plate, including seven early runs to take a 7-0 lead through an inning and a half. The Dock Spiders would respond in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run from Cole Messina (South Carolina) that travelled 410 feet to center, and an RBI groundout from Cash Rugely (Kansas State).
Over the final five innings, the Rafters scored 12 runs, including multiple in the fifth, seventh and ninth inning.
Dock Spiders pitching tallied 11 strikeouts on the night, including four from reliever Rock King (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) between the eighth and ninth inning.
The Dock Spiders will conclude their two-game set with the Rafters tomorrow night at Herr-Baker Field. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m., with David Hagaman (West Virginia) getting the start for Fond du Lac after he struck out eight over five innings last Thursday against Green Bay.
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.
