By John Baldridge/Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
Fond du Lac, WI – On Star Wars Day at Herr-Baker Field, the Force was with the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders as they tallied 16 hits, tying their season high, in a 13-5 victory over Lakeshore. With the win, the Dock Spiders improved their season record to 9-17.
The Dock Spiders opened the scoring in the third inning with a single from Drew Barragan (Embry-Riddle) that brought Aiden Jolley (Georgia Tech) home, making the score 1-0.
Lakeshore tied the game in the fifth inning with a solo home run by Gene Trujillo (New Mexico) to center field, making it 1-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Dock Spiders regained the lead. A single by Preston Knott (Northwestern) loaded the bases with no outs. Drew Barragan then cleared the bases with a double to right field, scoring two runs and giving the Dock Spiders a 4-1 lead.
The Dock Spiders extended their lead in the sixth inning by putting four more runs on the board. A walk to Preston Knott scored Aiden Jolley followed by a single from Drew Barragan that drove in two more runs, giving him five RBIs for the game. A fielder’s choice by Parker Knoll (Lawrence) brought home Preston Knott, increasing the lead to 8-1. The Dock Spiders added another run in the seventh inning, making the score 9-1.
Lakeshore fought back in the eighth inning, scoring three runs to cut the lead to 9-4. However, the Dock Spiders responded in the bottom half of the inning with four more runs. A leadoff triple by Parker Knoll followed by Tyler Neises driving in Knoll for the first run of the inning. A walk to Quinten Perilli (Elizabethtown) set up Drew Prosek, who doubled to center field, bringing in Neises to make the score 11-4. Groundouts by Aiden Jolley and Donavan Canterberry (Xavier) brought in Perilli and Prosek, pushing the lead to 13-4.
Lakeshore managed to score one more run in the ninth inning but could not get any closer, as the Dock Spiders secured the 13-5 win.
The Dock Spiders head to Lakeshore for the first time this season on Monday, with the first pitch 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. Entering its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 26 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 350 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 (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, 2021 and 2023 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner, and two-time All-MLB first-team 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