Wisconsin Rapids defeats Fond du Lac, 2-1
The Dock Spiders dropped a hard fought defensive battle to the Rafters as Fond du Lac only put up six hits and one run against a strong-armed Rafters pitching rotation.
After an offensive slugfest last night where both teams combined for 30 hits and runs, the defenses went to work in tonight’s game as it took until the fifth inning before either team found the scoring column. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Reece McCarthy scored off a Tommy Googins double to take a 1-0 lead. However, in the very next half inning the Rafters responded as Landon Gaz sent home Madden Ocko after lacing a double to right field. The game remained tied at one until the top of the eighth inning where the Rafters took the lead off an Eric Harper bases-loaded walk. The Dock Spiders offense were unable to find any rhythm to close out the game as the Dock Spiders fell 2-1 at Herr-Baker Field.
The Dock Spiders pitching rotation had a stellar night despite the loss as Noah Tschopp went a personal season-high six innings while amassing six strikeouts. Samuel Moses and Mason Bright also did good work coming out of the bullpen as they combined for three hits, two walks and two strikeouts. The three arm rotation for the Dock Spiders held the Rafters to only six hits as the Fond du Lac offense struggled to piece together results.
Offensively no Dock Spider found the hit column multiple times, however, James Hankerson Jr. hit an impressive milestone as he notched his 20th extra base hit of the season off a triple. Also in this game, it was extremely hard to get on the basepath as the Dock Spiders were walked only two times but were struck out 16 times at the plate.
Next game for the Dock Spiders is tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. at Warner Park in Madison as the Dock Spiders take on the Mallards for a two game road series.
The next home game for the Dock Spiders is Saturday, July 26 at 6:35 p.m. as Fond du Lac takes on Madison Mallards. The game falls on Comic Book Heroes Night where fans will get a chance to meet their favorite comic book characters for photos and meet and greet opportunities. Additionally, all kids will receive a cape courtesy of 99.5 WPKR.
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.