Nunez Clears Them All in the Fourth but Chucks Can’t Come Back
Tim Hackett, Broadcasting Intern
Wausau, Wis.- A night after they could score only one run on just three hits at Herr-Baker Field, the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders tallied eight runs on 11 hits Thursday night at Athletic Park in Wausau. Both teams remarkably recorded grand slams, but the Fond du Lac (17-21; 1-1) bullpen held strong to preserve an 8-5 win over the Wisconsin Woodchucks (16-21; 1-1).
Drew Hanson pitched a quality start with only one run allowed in his first start of the season, but after a quick two innings Thursday the Dock Spiders made sure he didn’t have as much success in start number two. With one out, Hanson walked two men and hit another to load the bases, and Andrew Bullock stepped up and crushed a grand slam home run, his third dinger of the year, to right field to put the visitors up 4-0.
They got back to it against Hanson in the fourth. With two outs, leadoff man Joe Breaux walked for the second time, and Luke Mangieri hit a single that went through Wisconsin center fielder Tristan Clarke’s feet and back to the wall. Brandon Wulff then hit an infield single to score Mangieri from third to put Fondy up 6-0.
But the Woodchucks would not go away. Stevie Mangrum and Brylie Ware started off the bottom of the fourth with singles against starter Tristan Baker and Hunter Coleman walked to load the bases. Logan Foster then drew a walk of his own to force home Mangrum and get Wisconsin on the board. Then up stepped Ivan Nunez, who launched a grand slam of his own, Wisconsin’s second of the year, out to left to pull the Woodchucks to within 6-5.
They would not get closer. Reliever Jacob Barton allowed a one-out double to Mangrum in the fifth but did not allow any more baserunners over three scoreless frames. Meanwhile, Lenny Gwizdala tossed 2.1 scoreless before Collin Ridout singled home Thomas Luevano in the eighth to make it 7-5 Dock Spiders. Wulff then led off the ninth with a solo shot to dead center off Jackson Owens to make the deficit three, and the Woodchucks could not come back against Mike Pascoe, who tossed two scoreless to pick up his first save of the season and ice the 8-5 Fond du Lac victory.
The Woodchucks will continue their season-long five-game homestand Friday night as the Kalamazoo Growlers come into Wausau. Tyler Luneke will slot back into the rotation as the Woodchucks look for their first home win of the second half.
Tickets are on sale to all Wisconsin Woodchucks home games and the 2017 Northwoods League Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, presented by Ascension. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling 715.845.5055 or by stopping by the Woodchucks front office during normal business hours.
