WATERLOO, IA – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders beat the Waterloo Bucks 17-9 at Riverfront Stadium, piling up 17 hits, including four extra-base hits, in the series opener.
Fond du Lac stayed hot at the plate after Waterloo scored first, putting up two runs in the second inning and another in the third. The Bucks answered with two runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game, but the Dock Spiders quickly responded with a four-run fourth. Nate Novitske’s two-run single highlighted the inning and gave Fond du Lac the momentum back.
Waterloo scored the next three runs to cut the lead to 7-6 heading into the sixth inning. From there, the Dock Spiders took over, scoring 10 unanswered runs. Fond du Lac put up three runs in the sixth, five in the seventh and two more in the ninth to pull away.
The Bucks scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth after two Dock Spiders errors, but the comeback came too late as Fond du Lac picked up the 17-9 win. The Dock Spiders have now recorded 37 hits over their last two games, with six players finishing with multiple hits against Waterloo.
Andrew Bishop and Nate Novitske led the way offensively, combining to reach base 10 times. Bishop reached base six times and drove in five runs, while Novitske collected four hits and scored three times.
On the mound, Ian Fisher and Jax Pfister turned in solid outings for Fond du Lac. Fisher threw three scoreless innings, while Pfister struck out three over four innings of work.
The Dock Spiders return to Herr-Baker Field on Sunday for a 1:05 p.m. matchup against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters for Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Day & Draw String Bag Giveaway. The Dock Spiders will thank Season Ticket Holders for their support throughout the season. Plus, the first 500 fans through the gates will receive a draw string bag courtesy of MLB Network. Kids can also enjoy Pre-Game Catch on the Field presented by Fondy Family Dental, and stick around after the game for Post-Game Autographs presented by Kwik Trip.
Information about ticket packages is currently available at dockspiders.com or by calling the ticket office at (920) 907-9833. Visit the Dock Spiders ballpark Box Office and Team Store during normal business hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 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’ 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 24 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, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 380 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 (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford 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, two-time Silver Slugger 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.