By John Baldridge/Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
GREEN BAY, WI – A three-home-run game for the Dock Spiders on Sunday afternoon at Capital Credit Union Park wasn’t enough to overcome a 7-0 start for Green Bay, resulting in a 9-5 loss. With the defeat, the Dock Spiders dropped both games in the two-game series with Green Bay, falling to 19-34 on the season and 6-14 in the second half.
Green Bay began the scoring in the first inning with a single from Jake Bold (Princeton) that brought in Daalen Addlerley (Loyola Marymount), making the score 1-0. The next batter, Nick Harms (Case Western Reserve), doubled to right field, bringing home Mulivai Levu (UCLA) to increase the score to 2-0. The following two batters extended the lead with a ground ball from Sam Miller (Columbia) to first; a throwing error by first baseman Tyler Neises (Georgia Tech) to the pitcher covering the base brought in the third run, making it 3-0. A groundout to third base by Blade Carver (Northern Oklahoma) scored the fourth run, making it 4-0.
In the second inning, Green Bay extended their lead by scoring three more runs, increasing it to 7-0. The inning featured two hits, one hit-by-pitch, a walk, and was highlighted by a double from Mulivai Levu that scored a run.
The Dock Spiders fought back in the fifth inning. After a single from Connor Conney (Holy Cross), Drew Howard (Evansville) hit a two-run home run with two outs to right field, his first of the season, making the score 7-2. The next batter, Preston Knott (Northwestern), walked, bringing Parker Knoll (Lawrence) to the plate. Knoll homered over the right field wall, reducing the score to 7-4.
In the sixth inning, Green Bay added a run with a solo home run to right field from Makani Tanaka (Oral Roberts), his first of the year, making it 8-4. The Dock Spiders got the run back in the seventh inning with a home run to right-center field from Connor Conney, making the score 8-5.
Makani Tanaka responded again in the eighth with a one-out homer to right field, making it 9-5. The Dock Spiders used six pitchers in relief on Sunday, starting in the third inning. They allowed only two runs over six innings and struck out three batters.
The Dock Spiders got a man aboard in the ninth inning but couldn’t bring any runs across, falling by a final score of 9-5.
The Dock Spiders will have three days off for the All-Star break starting on Monday before embarking on a four-game road trip in Duluth and La Crosse—two in La Crosse and two in Duluth—with game one in La Crosse starting on Thursday 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. Now in its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history 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, 360 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, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. 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.
