PHOTO VIA A FLASH OF SUNSHINE PHOTOGRAPHY
FOND DU LAC, WI – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders set the franchise record for runs in a single game and runs in a season during a 21-2 rout of the Wausau Woodchucks at Athletic Park on Sunday afternoon to finish July three games ahead of the Woodchucks and Lakeshore Chinooks for the second-best overall record in the Great Lakes West Division.
The Dock Spiders broke their previous franchise record of 19, set on July 12, 2022, against the Madison Mallards. They also recorded a season-high seven doubles and 12 extra-base hits. They tied their season-high with three home runs, including two from Kemp Alderman (Ole Miss), who became the ninth Dock Spider in franchise history to tally a multi-home run game.
With the win, Fond du Lac improved to 32-27 on the year, and 13-12 in the second half. Wausau fell to 29-30, 12-11 in the half.
The Dock Spiders scored early and often, scoring all 21 runs in the first five innings. They started the scoring in the first when an error brought home Nick Mitchell (Western Illinois) to give the Dock Spiders a 1-0 lead. In the second, Mitchell would drive home two on a triple and Branden Comia (Illinois) would drive him in on a double the next at-bat. Kemp Alderman would then tally his first home run of the afternoon with a two-run shot to right to give the Dock Spiders a 6-0 lead.
They would send 10 to the plate in the third, scoring six runs on six hits to tie the franchise record for the most runs in a season with their 426th run. Andrew Sojka (CSUN) smashed his fifth home run of the year in his 20th game, Cole Messina (South Carolina) would drive home two on a single, and Parker Noland (Vanderbilt) drove him two more with a double to make it 12-0. The two RBI from Messina gave him 40 on the year, the first team, in franchise history multiple players have tallied the 40 RBI mark in the same year.
Mitchell would score the record-setting run in the fourth with his second triple of the day, a new career-high, to extend the lead to 14-1. Comia would drive home another on a single before Alderman demolished his second homer of the day to right, this time a three-run shot.
The Dock Spiders led 17-1 after four and would tally four more in the fifth off a two-RBI single from Comia to bring home his third and fourth RBI of the day. Alderman would bring home his career-high sixth RBI of the day two batters later and Noland would finish the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center to extend the lead to 21-1.
Andrew Pogue (Illinois) went four innings and allowed a run in his first start since late June, while Reed Gallant (Rice), David Dean (Northeastern Oklahoma A&M), and Zachary Gaudreau (Northeastern Oklahoma A&M) combined to strike out seven out of the bullpen to finish it off. Dean (2-1) earned the win while Woodchucks starter Dawson Lane (0-1, Florida Southern) took the loss.
The Dock Spiders are back home tomorrow night to take on the Battle Creek Battle Jacks at 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.
