Late push from Rafters spoils Dock Spiders Opening Day comeback attempt

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) – Dock Spiders posted a late rally, putting five runs across in the seventh, tying the game with an inning that consisted of five walks and one hit. But, it wasn’t enough, as the Rafters got the lead back on a Trotter Boston (Tabor College) single in the eight for 8-7 Rafters victory. The Dock Spiders drop to 0-1 on the season and go to 5-3 overall on Opening Days.

David Dean (Oklahoma) got the start for the Dock Spiders, Dean, who hadn’t seen any game action this spring, went 3.0 innings, not allowing a hit and striking out five.

The scoring got started in the third, on a triple from Quinten Perilli (Elizabethtown) to score Caden Shiripo (Princeton) to give the Dock Spiders a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, the Rafters took their first lead putting three across with a two run RBI single from Matt Brandt (Howard College), and a RBI single from Bryson Stripling (North Georgia) to make the score 3-1. The Dock Spiders answered back by adding a run in the fourth to make the score 3-2.

The Rafters added one more in the fifth on a RBI single from Jack Mathey (Ohio Dominican), and two more in the seventh on the RBI sacrifice fly on a deep flyout to from Nomar Basurto (Luma CC) to score two runs and make the score 7-2.

In the bottom half of the seventh, The Dock Spiders got the first two aboard and after a flyout by Shiripo, a wild pitch with Quinten Perilli (Elizabethtown) batting brought home the first run of the inning, a single by Quinten Perilli with one out cut the score to 7-5. The next batter, Drew Barrgan (Embry Riddle) took a walk and a wild pitch with Zach Tayor (UW-Oshkosh) batting allowed two on in scoring position. A strikeout of Taylor, and then a pass ball with two outs with a third strike of Jake Surane (Wisconsin-Oshkosh) allowed him to reach and to score Perilli to make it 7-6, a balk called a batter later on pitcher Pierce Boles (LSU Eunice) tied the game up at seven.

The Rafters would take the lead back in the eight with a single Trotter Boston scoring Mason Onate (Tulane) to make the score 8-7. Fond du Lac got the first batter aboard in the ninth with a single, bringing the winning run to the plate, but the Dock Spiders were unable to get any closer, falling 8-7.

Dock Spiders will travel on the road for the first time this season tomorrow, facing this Rafters team in Wisconsin Rapids. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

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