Woodchucks Get Revenge, Down Dock Spiders 16-8

FOND DU LAC, WI – The Dock Spiders were in search of their third straight win as they took the field in Wausau on Wednesday night. The looming clouds in the sky foreshadowed what was about to come as Dock Spiders starting pitcher Sebastian Guzman (Washington St. Louis) took the mound in the bottom of the first inning. The Woodchucks ambushed Guzman as they scored two runs in the bottom of the first from a two RBI single to right field from left fielder Michael Maginnis (Georgia State) that gave the Woodchucks a 2-0 lead.  The Chucks offense was just getting started. In the bottom of the second inning, The Dock Spiders encountered a scary moment as left fielder Travis Strickler tracked a ball all the way to the left field fence and crashed into the left field wall and went down after he attempted to walk off the injury. Strickler walked off the field under his own power as Kelsen Johnson replaced Strickler in the game. The Chucks catcher Jake English (Kansas) launched a ball over the left field wall for a two run home run that gave the Woodchucks a 4-0 lead. Three batters later, Woodchucks right fielder Mark Shallenberger cranked a three run home run over the right field wall which gave the Chucks a 7-0 lead. The Dock Spiders found themselves down 11-0 headed to the top of the seventh.

They scratched a few runs across as an RBI double from second baseman Seth Sweet-Chick (Nevada) scored catcher Paul Smith (Rice). Then two RBi singles from centerfielder Jake Surane (Wisconsin Oshkosh) and left fielder Kelsen Johnson (St. Petersburg) sliced the lead down. They tallied five runs in the top of the seventh but the Woodchucks responded with three more runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Dock Spiders tallied three more runs in the top of the eighth but the Woodchucks again retaliated in the bottom of the inning as they scored two more runs. The Dock Spiders offense sputtered in the top of the ninth and the Woodchucks earned their first win of the second half of the season 16-8. Mark Shallenberger blasted a total of two home runs for the Chucks. The Dock Spiders will be back in action tomorrow night in Wausau as they take on the Woodchucks again. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 P.M. They will return home on Thursday July 6, when they start a two-game series with the Traverse City Pit Spitters. Thursday night’s game is craft brews and brats’ night presented by Fox River Brewing Company and Sheboygan Sausage with 99.5 WPKR at Herr-Baker Field, enjoy Sheboygan brats for 3$ and fans of legal drinking age may enjoy 16 oz. craft beer for 3$ each. First pitch is slated for 6:35 P.M.