Woodchucks Respond with Strong Win at Fond du Lac
Northwoods Wausau Woodchucks

Woodchucks Respond with Strong Win at Fond du Lac

August 5, 2025 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Wausau Woodchucks News Release


FOND DU LAC, WI - Entering Monday night, the playoff race in the Great Lakes West Division was as tight as it had been all second half- making every game down the stretch, including Wausau's road matchup in Fond du Lac, critical.

The Woodchucks played like that was the case, responding after a tough defeat on Sunday with a 13-8 win over the Dock Spiders. It was Wausau's eighth win over Fond du Lac in the 2025 season, and the Woodchucks' sixth win in their last nine games.

With the win, Wausau holds its narrow lead atop the Great Lakes standings, and their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is now down to five. Madison won tonight at Lakeshore, which means they remain one game back of the Woodchucks with five games to play in Wausau's season. The only way for Wausau to ensure their spot in the playoffs is to win all their remaining regular season games.

Fond du Lac struck first in the contest, taking the lead by scoring a run in the second inning. While Wausau's offense was slow out of the gate, Brayden Mazzacano (Illinois) gave it a big spark with one swing. With two outs in the third, the two-way freshman lifted a fly ball all the way to the left-field wall, which scored two runs and gave Wausau a 2-1 lead.

That started a stretch where Wausau would score multiple runs in five of the next six innings at the plate to put the game out of reach. In the fourth, Noah Malone (Loyola Marymount) showed his power, bringing Jake Berkland (Minnesota-State Mankato) home on an RBI double. Dylan Schlotterback (Paris JC/Kansas) and Max Soliz Jr. (Kansas) would both get sacrifice flies later in the inning to extend Wausau's lead to 5-1.

In the fifth, Wausau scored three more runs. The first two in the frame came on a home run down the left field line from Noah Malone. The long ball tied Malone with Max Soliz Jr. for the team lead in home runs with 13 and was Wausau's first home run since last Tuesday. Soliz also drove in a run in the fifth with a single that made it 8-1, extending his RBI total to 62 on the summer.

Then, in the sixth, Malone stayed in the zone at the plate, picking up his third extra base hit on the evening with an RBI double that scored Brayden Mazzacano. It was the first time Malone had three extra base hits in the same game since the day he hit three home runs in one game against Lakeshore in June. Christian Smith-Johnson (Texas A&M-CC) then joined in on the party, picking up his first RBI of the game on a single that put the Woodchucks up 10-1. Smith-Johnson and Malone both finished with three hits each to lead Wausau's offense.

Wausau wouldn't stop there. In the eighth, Paul Nuetzel (Madison CC) earned his first career Northwoods League hit with the Woodchucks. On the same play, Josh Arquette (Panola CC/UTSA) scored on an error, and Nuetzel moved up to third. Nuetzel would score later in the frame on a passed ball to give Wausau its largest lead of the night.

Early pitching played a big part in Wausau's win. Chance Moore (St. Bonaventure) earned his first win of the summer, allowing just one run in five innings of work, while striking out five batters. The right-hander worked out of multiple jams and limited free passes, only surrendering one walk. Tanner Goswick (Keiser) came out of the bullpen and retired the Dock Spiders in order in the sixth.

Fond du Lac would score a handful of runs late, but Wausau added insurance in the ninth. Mazzacano picked up his third RBI of the game when he ran out a potential double play ball, scoring Soliz and putting Wausau up six runs. The Woodchucks ran into some trouble in the ninth, but Christian Smith-Johnson put an end to any comeback attempt, making a diving catch for the final out of the night.

Wausau's offense has now scored ten or more runs in 21 different games this season, and now have a 20-1 record when they reach that mark. The Woodchucks have hit double digits 10 times on the road this season, and four times in 2025 against the Dock Spiders. Wausau still has the best offense in the Northwoods League, leading all 24 teams in runs scored, RBIs, hits, batting average, and on-base percentage.

Tonight was Wausau's final game at Fond du Lac this season. The Woodchucks will play just two more games on the road in the regular season, when they travel to first-half champions Green Bay on Wednesday and Thursday. Any other road games for the Woodchucks this summer would come if they qualify for the postseason.

Wausau improves to 43-21 overall, and is now 17-16 on the road this season. The Woodchucks will complete their four-game series against Fond du Lac tomorrow, when they face the Dock Spiders for the final time in 2025. That game will be played at Athletic Park and is set to begin at 6:35 p.m. Fans can watch the livestream of the contest exclusively on ESPN+.

Tomorrow night is set to be one of the biggest nights of the season at Athletic Park. It starts with Bang for Your Buck Night with $2 hot dogs, 16 oz domestic beers, and 16 oz sodas. Plus, the first 500 fans aged 21 and older through the gate will receive a stylish hooded t-shirt, courtesy of Miller Lite. Lastly, it's Cost Cutters and The Barber's Family Night, where the first 50 fans in the gates will get exclusive Cost Cutters coupons. Fans can purchase tickets for the final three games at Athletic Park in the regular season by visiting woodchucks.com.



Northwoods League Stories from August 5, 2025


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