FOND DU LAC, WI – Christian Ruebeck (Kansas State) struck out the final five batters of the ballgame, helping to lock down a 4-3 Fond du Lac Dock Spiders win over the Madison Mallards at Warner Park on Sunday afternoon.
Ruebeck earned his first save of the year, while Andrew Pogue (1-2) earned his first win of the year. Beau Nichols (0-2) took home the loss for the Mallards.
The win saw the Dock Spiders improve to 11-8 on the year, their third win over the last four games. The loss was the third straight for the Mallards, who fall to 8-12 on the year.
Dock Spiders starter Stephen Schissler (Nova Southeastern), retired all nine Mallards he faced, using a double-play and a pickoff to remove a single and a walk from the base paths.
The Dock Spiders scored runs early, as an error brought home Nick Mitchell (Western Illinois) in the first inning. In the second, Mitchell would strike for his first of three hits on the afternoon, driving home Connor Manthey (Bradley). Mitchell would tally two more RBI on a single in the fifth, his third hit of the afternoon, to give the Dock Spiders a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Mallards tallied two runs on two hits to get within two. Three innings later, the Mallards would load the bases with nobody out, brining Ruebeck into the ballgame. After an error scored a run to make it 4-3, Ruebeck retired the final five batters on strikes, including a one-two-three ninth inning to seal the victory.
The Dock Spiders return home tomorrow night to take on the Mallards at Herr-Baker Field. First pitch is scheduled 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.
