By John Baldridge/Fond du Lac Dock Spiders

GREEN BAY, WI – A four-home run evening and a late rally for the Dock Spiders on Wednesday night weren’t enough as the Dock Spiders fell short to Green Bay 7-6. The loss moved the Dock Spiders’ record to 18-31 on the season.

The Dock Spiders started the scoring in the second inning with a solo home run to right field from Aiden Jolley (Georgia Tech), making the score 1-0.

Green Bay took the lead in the fourth inning. After getting the first two aboard, a wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third base. Mateo Mathews (Wagner), hit a ground ball to second base which brought in a run on an error by second baseman Drew Howard (Evansville). Later in the inning, with two outs, a single to center field by Lukas Torres (Wagner) brought in two more runs, making the score 3-1. In the fifth inning, Green Bay added another run, growing their lead to 4-1.

In the seventh inning, the Dock Spiders fought back, scoring two runs. Behind a leadoff triple from Caden Shapiro (Princeton), the next batter, Tyler Neises (Georgia Tech), grounded out, bringing in Shapiro, making the score 4-2. The next hitter, Tyler Stack (Xavier), followed with a home run to right, making the score 4-3.

The Dock Spiders recaptured the lead in the eighth inning, scoring two runs. A leadoff home run to right field from Miles Vandenheuvel (Eastern Arizona), his first of the season in his first game in the lineup. Vandenheuvel finished 2-3, with a single, home run, and two walks. The second home run of the inning came from Preston Knott (Northwestern) to right field, giving the Dock Spiders a 5-4 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, with two out and two aboard, a triple to center field from Nick Harms (Case Western Reserve) scored two runs and gave Green Bay a 6-5 lead. The next batter, Sam Miller (Columbia), tripled to left field, scoring Harms and making the score 7-5.

In the ninth inning, with the Dock Spiders down to their final out, a single with two on base by Drew Howard brought in Drew Barragan (Embry-Riddle), making it a 7-6 game and advancing the tying run to third base. The next batter, Preston Knott, hit a flyout to end the Dock Spiders’ threat and gave Green Bay the 7-6 win.

The Dock Spiders return home on Thursday night against Duluth at Herr-Baker Field, with the first pitch at 6:35 p.m. On Thursday, enjoy Sheboygan brats for $3, and fans of legal drinking age may enjoy 16 oz. craft beer for $3 each. Additionally, sometimes you can meet your heroes! Your favorite comic book characters will be on hand on Thursday for photos and meet-and-greet opportunities.

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