Photo Courtesy: Amy Ackerman
FOND DU LAC, WI – It was all Woodchucks in game one of the two game series versus the Woodchucks on Sunday afternoon as the Dock Spiders couldn’t register a hit. The Woodchucks used a sacrifice fly by second basemen Jesse Donohoe (Georgia State) that brought home centerfielder Dalton Pearson (Georgia State) home to make the score 1-0 Woodchucks.
Wood Chucks starting pitcher Ethan Pecko (Towson) was magnificent, forcing the dock spiders to go down 1-2-3 in every inning until the top of the fifth. Pecko had a perfect game going into the top of the fifth when Dock Spiders third basemen Luke Novitske (Cal State East Bay) worked a walk to put a Dock Spider on base for the first time all day. Pecko was able to get the Woodchucks out of the inning getting Dock Spiders newcomer Sam Busch (Michigan State) to fly out to the left fielder to end the inning. After that blip of an inning,
Pecko got back on track, sitting the Dock Spiders down 1-2-3 in the sixth and seventh innings before being pulled while throwing a no hitter. The Woodchucks went back to work offensively, scoring two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 3-0 lead. Once Pecko was pulled, the Dock Spiders found their way on base but not by base hits it was walks and hit by pitches that did the trick. Lorenzo Rios was the first batter that new Woodchucks reliever Nic Schutte (Western Kentucky) faced out of the bullpen, and he proceeded to plunk him in the elbow. In the top of the eighth inning, Rios later came around to score and was replaced by Paul Smith (Rice) in the next half inning. In the top of the 9th, Smith walked to get aboard but that was all she wrote as the Dock Spiders bats were silent all afternoon.
Ethan Pecko gets the win for the Woodchucks and Amar Tsengeg, who went six and a third innings pitched with six strikeouts, three walks, 8 hits, and 3 earned runs, is tabbed with the loss. Both teams will square off again in Wausau tomorrow night. First Pitch is slated for 6:05 PM.
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 recently completed its’ 29th 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 300 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 and on ESPN+. For more information, visit dockspiders.com or 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.
