Wausau Woodchucks rip Fond du Lac to win fifth in a row

For Wausau Pilot & Review

WAUSAU – The Wausau Woodchucks won their fifth-straight game and improved to 3-0 in the second half of the Northwoods League baseball season with a 10-3 victory over the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders on Friday night at Athletic Park.

Johnny Amonica (Keiser) made his first start of the season for the Woodchucks and set a new season-high in innings pitched at five. Amonica also struck out three, allowed three runs, and picked up his first win of the season.

Jett Slepak (UCF) came in in relief for Amonica in the top of the sixth. Slepak closed the door on the Dock Spiders, giving up no runs and just two hits the rest of the way to pick up his first save for Wausau (29-8 overall).

The Woodchucks trailed until the bottom of the third inning when Max Galvin (Miami) walked with the bases loaded to allow Jake Berkland (Mankato) to tie the game at 1-1. Colin Bruggemann (Oklahoma State) earned his first RBI of the season, a sacrifice fly to score Edian Espinal (Chipola College), to make it 2-1.

After falling behind again in the fifth, the Woodchucks retook the lead when Hayden Christiansen (Xavier) earned his ninth hit of the season, a single that scored Trey Gambill (Oklahoma) and Galvin, bringing the score to 4-3.

The Woodchucks added an insurance run when Austin Dearing (Florida International) slugged his first hit of the season that scored Bruggemann to bring the score to 5-3.

The Chucks blew things open in the bottom of the eighth with a five-run inning. Bryce Hubbard (Georgia) started things off with a double and scored on a Samuel Fischer (Florida International) double of his own. Galvin increased his hit streak to five games, with a single that scored Edian Espinal.

Bruggemann capped things off with a booming two-run shot over the video board in right field, bringing the score to its final tally in 10-3.

The Woodchucks will wrap up their two-game home series against Fond du Lac on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. at Athletic Park. It is Military Appreciation Night with complimentary box seat tickets to veterans and active-duty military personnel with military ID.