WAUSAU, WI – The Dock Spiders suffered their third walk-off loss of the season Tuesday night, falling 10-9 to the Wausau Woodchucks after allowing four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning at Athletic Park.
Fond du Lac built an early 3-0 lead in the finale of the six-game series. Joey Arend delivered a two-run double in the third inning, and Kiernan O’Neill added a leadoff solo home run in the fourth. Wausau responded in the bottom of the third with a three-run home run to even the score at 3-3.
The Woodchucks took a 6-3 lead in the sixth inning with the help of a pair of extra-base hits. Fond du Lac answered in the seventh, scoring four runs on a wild pitch and a three-run home run by Miles Vandenheuvel to regain the lead. The Dock Spiders added two insurance runs in the eighth inning on a two-run single by Reed Strohmeyer, extending their advantage to 9-6.
Wausau rallied in the bottom of the ninth, scoring four runs to complete the comeback. Chris Patterson delivered the game-winning sacrifice fly, giving the Woodchucks a 10-9 walk-off victory.
The Dock Spiders finished with seven hits, including home runs from O’Neill and Vandenheuvel. Reed Strohmeyer and Joey Arend each recorded multi-hit games, going 2-for-4 at the plate.
On the mound, Fond du Lac pitchers combined for eight strikeouts while allowing seven free passes and five extra-base hits. Brady Hudson made his first start of the season and struck out seven batters over five innings.
With the loss, Fond du Lac fell in the six-game series 4-2. Fond du Lac will next turn its attention to the Lakeshore Chinooks in a home-and-home series.
The Dock Spiders travel to Kapco Park on Wednesday for a 6:05 p.m. matchup against Lakeshore before returning to Herr-Baker Field on Thursday, June 25, for a 6:35 p.m. game against the Chinooks. Thursday’s contest is a Thirsty Thursday presented by Fox River Brewing Company and 99.5 WPKR, featuring $3 16 oz. beers and sodas, as well as $5 Carbliss and Surfside beverages.
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.