By John Baldridge/Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
FOND DU LAC, WI – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders secured their second consecutive win on Thursday night at Herr-Baker Field with a 6-4 victory over the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. The win improved the Dock Spiders’ record to 27-40 overall and 14-20 in the second half.
The Dock Spiders started strong, scoring four runs in the first inning. Preston Knott (Northwestern) led off with a double, followed by a double from Drew Barragan (Embry-Riddle) that brought Knott home, making it 1-0. After a walk and a groundout, Caden Shapiro (Princeton) doubled to right field, driving in Barragan to extend the lead to 2-0. Tyler Stack (Xavier) then singled to left field, scoring the third run, and Gus Walker (Marian) grounded out to bring in the fourth, putting the Dock Spiders ahead 4-0.
In the third inning, the Rafters responded with a two-run triple from Walker Buchanan (Virginia), cutting the deficit to 4-2. Two batters later, Landon Gaz (California Irvine) singled to bring Buchanan home, narrowing the score to 4-3.
The Dock Spiders extended their lead in the fourth inning with a single to right field from Drew Howard (Evansville), scoring Tyler Stack and making it 5-3.
In the fifth inning, Wisconsin Rapids trimmed the lead to 5-4 after loading the bases with no outs. Dalton Fiveash (Western Kentucky) drew a walk to bring in a run, but RHP Brandon Brust got the next batter, Gabe Caso (Northampton), to ground into a 1-2-3 double play, followed by a groundout from Aiden Teel (Virginia) to end the Rafters’ threat. In the bottom half of the inning, the Dock Spiders added an insurance run when Tyler Stack’s sacrifice fly to left field scored Travis Strickler (Embry-Riddle), making it 6-4.
The Rafters loaded the bases again in the sixth inning but a 4-6-3 double play that ended the inning, keeping the score at 6-4.
LHP Ethan Wickman (UW-Whitewater), RHP JT Hockers (UW-Stevens Point), and Dylan Jaquez (Westcliff) combined to secure the final nine outs, allowing just one hit and striking out two to clinch the Dock Spiders’ 6-4 victory.
The Dock Spiders will begin a two-game series at home on Friday against Lakeshore, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. On Friday, the team will celebrate Weaver’s Birthday Party. The evening will be dedicated to celebrating the beloved mascot’s birthday with his mascot friends from around the area. Fans can also enjoy post-game fireworks presented by Fond du Lac Credit Union.
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