Battle Creek Defeats Fond du Lac, 7-6
The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders surrendered a late three-run lead Thursday night, falling 7-6 to the Battle Creek Battle Jacks at Herr-Baker Field.
Battle Creek opened the scoring in the second inning on an RBI single by Gehrig Goldbeck before the Dock Spiders answered in the bottom half when a throwing error allowed JJ Nielsen to score and tie the game. The Battle Jacks regained the lead in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Dayne Wimberly.
Fond du Lac responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take control of the game. Reed Strohmeyer and Tyler Neises each delivered RBI singles during the rally, giving the Dock Spiders a 5-2 advantage. After both teams scored in the sixth inning, Carter Kelley added a sacrifice fly to extend Fond du Lac’s lead to 6-3.
Battle Creek answered with four unanswered runs over the final three innings to complete the comeback and hand the Dock Spiders a 7-6 loss, marking Fond du Lac’s 11th one-run defeat of the season.
The Dock Spiders finished with 10 hits and drew six free passes. Tyler Neises led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Ben Kuglitsch and Jay Campbell each added two-hit performances.
On the mound, Fond du Lac used four pitchers and recorded nine strikeouts while allowing 10 hits. Right-hander Morgan Garrett made his first start of the season, striking out six over six innings.
The Dock Spiders and Battle Jacks conclude their season series on Friday, July 17, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Herr-Baker Field.
Friday’s game is Weaver’s Birthday Party, presented by Empeople Credit Union. Weaver will be joined by mascot friends from around the area for a night of family fun, followed by a Fireworks Friday show presented by Sysco.
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.
Date posted: July 17, 2026