Woodchucks Hold on for Win Over Fond du Lac

Needing one out to secure the win, manager Corey Thompson issued a high-leverage intentional walk. Allowing the single baserunner on helped relief pitcher Chandler Fochs reach the mandatory three-batter minimum to exit the contest in the middle of a frame. Charlie Campbell then entered the game and became eligible for the playoffs should the Woodchucks advance. All players must appear in a Northwoods League game on or before August 4 to be postseason-eligible.

Campbell allowed a double but induced a lineout to second baseman Harrison Long as the Woodchucks left Athletic Park with a 4-3 win.

Wisconsin’s victory avenges a 5-2 loss to Fond du Lac Monday, securing a series split. They improve to 38-23 and 17-9 in the second half and move into a first place tie in the Great Lakes West Second Half standings, sharing the lead with the Spiders.

In the second inning, the Woodchucks scored first with a two-out triple off the wall by Ryan Sepede, scoring Colton Vincent from first base.

Fond du Lac scored twice in the third to go ahead before a Sepede solo homer made it 2-2 in the fifth.

Wisconsin grabbed a 3-2 lead in the seventh when Stephen Reid scored Long, again with two outs. An inning later, a Vincent ground ball down the first base line was just fair, and scored pinch runner Aaron Simmons in the eighth to provide insurance for the Woodchucks.

The win is the Chucks’ seventh in their last nine games. It is the last time the Dock Spiders visit Wausau during the 2021 regular season.

Top Performers

Starting pitcher Dante Chirico commanded seven frames, striking out seven, walking just one and surrendering two runs.

Tommy Wahl pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Campbell earned a one-out save for the Chucks. It was Wisconsin’s 23rd team save this season, which is a league-high.

Sepede went 2-4 with a triple and solo homer.

Vincent caught two Dock Spiders trying to steal third base. Fond du Lac entered the matchup with 203 stolen bases, tops in the Northwoods League as well as first overall in league history. The catcher also went 2-4 with a run and an RBI double.

Next Up

The Woodchucks host the Battle Creek Bombers for a doubleheader Thursday at Athletic Park. Game 1 is at 5:05 p.m. and Game 2 will follow 30 minutes after the first matchup. With Game 2 being a makeup of a July 7 rainout between the teams at Battle Creek’s C.O. Brown Stadium, Wisconsin will be designated as the road team in that contest only.

A Super Hero Woody Bobblehead will be given to the first 800 fans presented by Crystal Finishing Systems & JDRF.

For tickets, call us at 715.845.5055, stop by our front office, or visit woodchucks.com.

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The Wisconsin Woodchucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 27-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 200 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.woodchucks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Woodchucks as your favorite team.