Rafters Defeat Dock Spiders, 11-4
Fond du Lac splits the series with Wisconsin Rapids after a 11-4 loss where the Rafters held the Dock Spiders to four hits.
Fond du Lac did not notch a hit from the top of the third to the top of the eighth as Wisconsin Rapids pitching rotation and defense caused problems all night for the Dock Spiders batting order. The Rafters pitchers over the two game series struckout a combined 20 Dock Spiders as the swing-and-miss proved to be a struggle for Fond du Lac.
One key reason for the loss can be traced back to the four errors committed by Fond du Lac as these self inflicted wounds not only tied their season high in a single game but also held back their defensive output against the hot Rafters offense.
For the Dock Spiders pitching rotation, starter Tannis Lange and Gunner Gilmore combined for seven out of the 11 strikeouts recorded by Fond du Lac. However, forcing free passes proved to be the Rafters strong suit as they earned eight walks and were hit-by-pitch two times.
Fond du Lac’s offense did hit an important milestone as Matt Hansen– who went 1-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch and an RBI– recorded the first Dock Spiders homerun of the season in the top of the ninth with a 376 feet blast past the right-centerfield wall.
With the loss, the Dock Spiders sit below .500 again and are 1-1 on the season against the Rafters as they look to reach the win column again with a home-and-home set against the Green Bay Rockers.
Next game for the Dock Spiders is on tomorrow, June 5 against the Rockers at 6:35 p.m. The game not only falls on a Craft Brews and Brats Thursday brought to you by the Fox River Brewing Co., the Sheboygan Sausage Company and 99.5 PKR New Country Now where brats and craft brews will be sold for $3 but it is also Caleb Durbin Night. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for a pregame meet and greet with Caleb Durbin as the former Dock Spider and current Milwaukee Brewer returns to Herr-Baker Field.
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.