By John Baldridge/Fond du Lac Dock Spiders

FOND DU LAC, WI – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders fell to La Crosse to close the home stand and split the two-game series with a 21-12 loss. The Dock Spiders’ record moved to 25-38 with the loss and 12-18 in the second half.

La Crosse started the scoring in the first inning after a double from Luke Anderson (BYU) put runners on second and third base with no outs. The next hitter, Case Sanderson (Nebraska), grounded out, scoring the first run in the inning and making the score 1-0. The following batter, Mitch Wood (Iowa), hit a fly ball into center field, scoring Anderson and bringing the second run across in the inning, making the score 2-0.

The Loggers got another run across in the third inning and added six more in the fourth inning, bringing 11 batters to the plate with six hits in the inning and RBI singles from Ian Collier (Texas State), Sebastian David (Stanford), and Mathew Miura (Hawaii).

La Crosse extended their lead to double digits in the top of the fifth inning, with a leadoff home run to start the inning in left field, his third of the season, making the score 10-0. In the bottom of the inning, after RHP Kassius Thomas (Stanford) retired the first 12 batters of the game, he gave up a leadoff single, leading to a six-run inning for the Dock Spiders. The Dock Spiders tallied six runs with three hits, two walks, two hit-by-pitches, and an error, cutting the score to 10-6. The inning was highlighted by a two-run RBI double from Preston Knott (Northwestern).

In the sixth inning, La Crosse got another run home on an error by third baseman Colton Angell (Southeastern CC), making the score 11-6. The Dock Spiders answered back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, with the second run coming from a single by Drew Howard, making the score 11-8.

In the seventh inning, La Crosse brought 16 batters to the plate, scoring ten runs on five hits, six walks, and two hit-by-pitches, extending the lead to 21-8. The Dock Spiders used three different pitchers in the inning.

The Dock Spiders answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, which consisted of one hit, a single from Colton Angell that scored the third run of the inning, making the score 21-11.

In the ninth inning, the Dock Spiders went down to their final out, a solo home run to left field from Drew Howard, his second home run of the season, made the score 21-12. The Loggers got the final out a couple of batters later, setting the final score and giving the Loggers a 21-12 victory.

The Dock Spiders head to Madison for their second to final road game of the season on Monday with first pitch against the Mallards at 6:05 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.