Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (7-12) dropped their third game in a row Saturday night, losing 9-8 in a nail-biter against the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (9-9). The Rafters struggled with defensive errors throughout the game, recording six on the night, resulting in five unearned runs scoring. The Rafters had strong pitching all game, with starter Anthony Mateo allowing just one earned run while the final four pitchers each had one scoreless inning, but the Rafters couldn’t capitalize on Noah Ruiz’s ninth-inning home run.

The Dock Spiders got on the board first, adding two runs in the top of the first off Wisconsin Rapids’ Mateo, starting with a passed ball before Patrick Graham picked up an RBI sac fly.

The Rafters responded with one run in the bottom of the first on Noah Ruiz’s RBI single off Dock Spiders starter Dylan Immel, sending home Mason Onate and making it 2-1.

It was a quick retort from Fond du Lac, scoring another run on an error from Rafters third baseman JJ Garcia before Wisconsin Rapids’ Mateo worked out of the inning with a 3-1 deficit.

Another run was added to the Dock Spiders lead in the top of the third when Landon Mensik scored on Graham’s sac fly off Rafters’ Mateo, extending the lead to 4-1.

With the pressure mounting, Wisconsin Rapids exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third and taking a 5-4 lead. The inning saw six walks and a hit-by-pitch, with four of those being RBIs. One came from Noah Ruiz to get them started, with Kameron Douglas, Madden Ocko and Hiroto Kobayashi following in order.

The Dock Spiders got most of the runs back the next inning, scoring three in the top of the fourth and reclaiming the lead 7-5. Two of them came off a single from TP Wentworth off Rafters reliever Brennan Cohen (0-1) before Mensik picked up another hit to send Wentworth home.

The lead grew to 9-5 Fond du Lac in the top of the fifth when William Hoerner scored on another error from Rafters’ Garcia, and Jalen Gellings came home on a throw down trying to catch a runner stealing.

From there Cohen was relieved, and the Rafters held the Dock Spiders scoreless with four different pitchers. It started with Jack O’Brasky in the sixth and the Rafters used the momentum to cut into the deficit.

In the bottom of the sixth, two more runs came in for Wisconsin Rapids thanks to Gunnar Myro and Ashton Zacher’s RBIs off Dock Spiders reliever Hudson Johnson (1-1), cutting it to a 9-7 game.

Tony Torres followed Jack O’Brasky with a shutout seventh and Jafet Martinez did the same in the top of the eighth, keeping the game 9-7 for Ashton Poole. Poole allowed a one-out single in the ninth, but kept him from scoring with a shutout inning himself.

In the bottom of the ninth, Noah Ruiz launched a one-out solo shot over the right-center wall off Dock Spiders reliever Zak White, making it a one-run game. Madden Ocko kept the game alive with a two-out single, but White induced a flyout from Hiroto Kobayashi to earn the save (2) and finish the game with the tying runner on first.

The Rafters are now tied for fifth in the subdivision with Lakeshore while the Dock Spiders sit just half a game back of Green Bay in fourth. The Rafters will head to Fond du Lac tomorrow afternoon to try and even the season series with first pitch at 1:05 P.M. The game will be broadcast for video on NWL+ and for radio on WFHR 97.5 FM/1320 AM.