Fremont, Nebraska – Thursday night at Historic Moller Field, The Fremont Moo defeated the Nebraska Prospects, 6-5, in Independence League Baseball Association action. With the victory, Fremont extended its season high winning streak to six games.
The Moo began the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Miles Meadows led off the frame with a triple to center field, off Prospects starter Keinan Lentell. Then, Carson Burnett followed with an rbi single, to put Fremont ahead, 1-0. The next batter, Isaac Bonner, singled to put runners at the corners. Then, Connor Petersen hit a ground ball to short which scored Burnett, making it 2-0. On the play, the throw from Tyler Palmer was low and Petersen reached safely. Josh Blount drew a walk to load the bases. Two batters later, Cooper Fuchino hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Bonner, and putting Fremont ahead, 3-0.
After the second inning concluded, inclement weather rolled in, forcing a 38-minute delay. Play resumed and the score remained the same until the top of the sixth. Prospects leadoff batter Blake Stenger doubled off Moo starter Baylor Hicks. After a ground out to second off the bat of Easton Swafford advanced Stenger to third, Nathan Vermass grounded out to second, scoring Stenger, to make it a 3-1 game.
Fremont extended its lead in the bottom of the seventh. Against Prospects reliever Charlie Mosser, Fuchino reached on a one-out single. Parker Mooney drew a walk and Bridger Coleman singled, to load the bases. Then, Miles Meadows reached on a fielder’s choice on a grounder to second, forcing out Coleman, but allowing Fuchino to score, making it 4-1. With runners at the corners, Carson Burnett hit a ground ball to third which scored Mooney, making it a 5-1 Fremont lead.
In the top of the eighth, the momentum shifted, as The Prospects plated four runs to tie the game. Against Fremont reliever, making his Moo debut, Grant Wagner, Blake Stenger led off with a single and stole second. Paul Schuyler drew a walk. Stenger stole third, then Schuyler stole second. Two batters later, Jackson Trout delivered an rbi single, scoring Stenger, to make it 5-2. With runners at the corners, an errant pickoff attempt by Wagner at first base, scored Schuyler, making it 5-3. Trenton Barry singled along the infield to put runners at first and second. A double steal put runners at second and third. Levi Martin drew a walk to load the bases. Fremont made a pitching change, bringing in Alex Oliver. The next batter, Korey Cozad, hit a ground ball to third. Isaac Bonner had trouble getting the ball out of his glove, then threw errantly to first allowing Trout and Barry to score, and tying the game at 5-5. Oliver got out of the jam with a strikeout and inducing an inning-ending fielder’s choice, to keep the game tied.
Fremont took the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth. Connor Petersen led off with a walk. After two ground ball outs advanced Petersen to third, Cooper Fuchino stepped to the plate. The Creighton University catcher hit a double down the left field line, scoring Petersen, and putting Fremont ahead, 6-5.
In the top of the ninth, Oliver shut the door on the Prospects by getting Stenger to ground out to short and striking out Schuyler looking for the second out. Then, Oliver struck out Jonathan Moffitt to give Fremont the 6-5 win.
Fremont (17-11, 4-0) scored six runs off nine hits with two errors. The Prospects (5-11, 0-1) had five runs with seven hits and committed three errors.
Moo starter Baylor Hicks pitched 7.0 innings, giving up one run off four hits, struck out six, walked two and hit one batter. Grant Wagner pitched 0.1 innings, giving up one earned run off three hits, struck out one and walked two. Alex Oliver (1-0) earned the win, pitching 1.2 innings, and struck out three.
Prospects starter Keinan Lentell pitched 2.0 innings, giving up two earned runs off three hits, struck out one, walked two and hit one batter. J.T. Roy pitched 4.0 innings giving up three hits and struck out one. Charlie Mosser (0-1) took the loss. He pitched 1.2 innings, giving up two earned runs off two hits, struck out one, walked two and had one wild pitch. Josh Kilzer pitched 0.1 innings, striking out one and walking two.
Offensively, for Fremont, Cooper Fuchino was 2-for-5 with two rbi’s. Bridger Coleman was 2-for-5. Miles Meadows was 2-for-4 with an rbi. Carson Burnett went 1-for-4 and drove in two runs. Isaac Bonner was 2-for-4 and Conner Petersen went 0-for-3, but drove in a run and scored the eventual game winning tally.
For The Prospects, Blake Stenger was 2-for-5. Nathan Vermass was 0-for-3 and drove in one run. Jackson Trout went 2-for-4. Jacob Perrin was 2-for-3.
With the win, Fremont won its sixth straight game and remained in first place in the ILB second half standings.
Fremont and The Prospects will wrap up their short two game series at Historic Moller Field, Friday night. First pitch is 7:05 p.m.
