Dock Spiders Fall to Loggers in Friday Night Action

The Dock
Spiders suffered their first loss of the season after dropping a back-and-forth
battle against the La Crosse Loggers, 7-6 on Friday night.

 

The Loggers
(3-0) got to left-handed Dock Spiders pitcher Jake Saum early, and
batted through the first seven spots of their order in the first inning. La
Crosse plated a run to take the lead right away, 1-0.

 

The Dock
Spiders (1-1) would respond right away in the top of the second when Justin
Bench
lined a single into center field that scored John Rhodes from
second base to tie the game at one.

 

Jack
Alexander
would reach on a walk that put runners on first and second for
the Dock Spiders.

 

Taylor
Jackson
then stepped in and roped a line drive into center field. Bench would
slide safely into home after the throw to the plate bounced to the backstop.
The Loggers tried to catch Alexander at third, but a throw that went wide of
the bag allowed the Dock Spiders catcher to come home and give Fond du Lac a
3-1 lead.

 

La Crosse took
the lead back in the bottom of the third inning when Trey Harris hit a
grand slam to left field to put the Loggers back on top, 5-3.

 

It didn’t take
long for the Dock Spiders to answer back, as they nearly batted around the
order in the top of the fifth. Jackson reached on a base hit, followed by a
walk to Sam Novitske.

 

Parker
Noland
lined a shot into left that allowed Jackson to score and bring the
Dock Spiders to within a run (5-4). Tim Elko reached on a walk which
then brought up Tate Kolwyck. The Loggers attempted to spin a double
play after Kolwyck chopped a grounder up the middle, but Kolwyck beat the throw
to first which let Novitske advance and score. John Rhodes took the
first pitch he saw to left field that plated Noland and put the Dock Spiders
ahead 6-5.

 

Alex Vera came
in to pitch for Fond du Lac in the fourth inning and tossed a gem, allowing
only one hit in three innings of work to keep the Dock Spiders in the lead.

 

Both teams’
bats stayed quiet for the next three innings up until the bottom of the eighth,
when Jason Hodges led off the inning with a solo homerun to center to
tie it at six apiece. Colin Burgess knocked a hit to reach first, and
advanced to second after a fielder’s choice. The Loggers took the lead after Luke
Brown
hit a line drive that got through Ryan Ritter and into left
field. Burgess scored from second on the play and put the Loggers in front 7-6.

 

The Dock
Spiders came close to tying it in the ninth after Noland reached on a walk, as
well as pinch hitter Aaron Anderson, but the comeback fell just short as
the Loggers held on to win 7-6.

 

Fond du Lac
will look to split the two-game series on Saturday, Independence Day, at 6:05
pm.