Fremont, Nebraska – The Fremont Moo and Spearfish Sasquatch opened a four-game series in Independence League Baseball Association action, Thursday night, at Historic Moller Field. In a back-and-forth contest that lasted three hours and thirty-three minutes, Spearfish outlasted Fremont, 9-8 in eleven innings.
Spearfish started the scoring early. The second batter of the game, Ben Green, hit a 1-2 pitch off Fremont starter Bobby Simmons, over the right field fence for a solo home run, to put the Sasquatch up, 1-0.
The Sasquatch extended the lead in the top of the second. Leadoff batter Seth Nelson drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Braden Gostisha hit a 3-2 pitch from Simmons out of the park for a two-run homerun, making the score 3-0, Spearfish.
Fremont got its offense going in the bottom of the third inning. Nine-hole batter Cole Fowler drew a one-out walk. Miles Meadows followed with a base hit. Then, Bridger Coleman hit an 0-1 pitch from Spearfish starter Russell Peterson over the right field fence. The opposite field three-run homerun tied the game at 3-3.
The Moo grabbed its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs, Dylan Brandenburg drew a walk. After Parker Mooney reached on an error by first baseman Kyle Phin, Cole Fowler hit an rbi single, scoring Brandenburg, to make it a 4-3, Fremont lead.
Fremont added a couple more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Connor Petersen led off the inning with a walk against reliever Ben HIll, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wyatt Yetter also drew a walk, to put runners at first and second. On a pitch in the dirt, Peterson attempted to take third but was thrown out for the first out of the inning. Dylan Brandenburg singled to put runners at first and second. Then, Parker Mooney hit an rbi double to the right field warning track, scoring Yetter, to make it 5-3, Fremont. Cole Fowler hit a slow roller to third, scoring Brandenburg, to put the Moo ahead, 6-3.
Spearfish got closer, with a run in the top of the seventh. Off reliever Luka Vukcevic, Kyle Phin doubled. After Seth Nelson drew a walk, Ben Tate reached on a fielder’s choice, putting runners at first and third. Phin would score on a wild pitch, making it 6-4, in favor of Fremont.
The Sasquatch were down to their last two outs in the top of the ninth, when the momentum shifted. With one out, Seth Nelson hit a pop-up to third which Connor Peterson did not catch. The error put Nelson at first, before he advanced to second on a wild pitch, off reliever Justin Bowman. Javier Marcial pinch-hit for Spearfish, and on a 2-2 pitch Marciel hit a rocket over the left field fence, tying the game at 6-6.
Neither team could manufacture a run in the tenth, which pushed the game to the eleventh inning. Facing Fremont reliever Ryan Semin, Patrick Rakes drew a walk, and with Ben Green the placed runner at second, the Sasquatch had runners at first and second. Kyle Phin hit a double to the left field corner, scoring Green, to make it 7-6, Spearfish. Seth Nelson delivered with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Rakes, to put the Sasquatch up, 8-6. A passed ball advanced Phin to third, then pincn-hitter Dylan Darnall drew a walk to put runners at first and third. The next batter, Braden Gostisha, hit a fly ball to left. Fremont’s Josh Blount made the catch and as Phin was retreating to third base, Blount’s throw back to the infield went array, allowing Phin to score, to put Spearfish in front, 9-6.
In the bottom of the eleventh, Dylan Brandenburg was the placed runner at second. Then Isaac Bonner hit a lazy fly ball to left which Spearfish’s Parker Rakes dropped, putting runners at first and second. The next batter, Josh Blount, drew a walk to load up the bases with nobody out. Leadoff batter Miles Meadows hit a two-rbi single to left center, scoring Brandenburg and Bonner, to make it 9-8, with nobody out. However, reliever Jordan Boman responded. He got Bridger Coleman to flyout to center field, Stephen Espinoza to pop up to second base, then struck out Tyrus Petsche on a 1-2 pitch, to end the game, giving Spearfish the 9-8, eleven inning victory.
Spearfish (5-7) scored nine runs off nine hits and committed two errors. Fremont (6-3) had eight runs with eight hits and had three errors.
Sasquatch starter Russell Petersen pitched 5.0 innings, giving up three earned runs off four hits, struck out eight and walked two. Ben Hill pitched 1.0 inning, giving up two runs off one hit and walked two. Jordan Boman (1-0) earned the win with 5.0 innings of relief. He gave up one unearned run off four hits, struck out eight and walked three.
Fremont’s Bobby Simmons pitched 3.1 innings, giving up three runs off four hits, struck out six and walked three. Theo Hughes pitched 2.2 innings, giving up one hit, struck out three and walked two. Luka Vukcevic pitched 1.0 inning, giving up one run, one hit, struck out one and walked one. Justin Bowman pitched 3.0 innings, giving up one earned run off two hits, struck out four and walked two. Ryan Semin (0-1) took the loss. He pitched 1.0 inning, giving up two runs off one hit and walked two.
Offensively, Spearfish’s Ryan Bachman was 2-for-5. Ben Green was 1-for-6 with a solo home run. Kyle Phin was 2-for-6 with an rbi. Seth Nelson went 0-for-4, but drove in a run in the top of the eleventh. Javier Marciel was 1-for-1 with a two run home run that tied the game in the top of the ninth. Braden Gostisha was 1-for-5 with a two-run home run.
Fremont’s Miles Meadows was 2-for-6 with two rbi’s. Bridger Coleman was 3-for-5 and hit a three-run home run, his first of the season. Parker Mooney was 1-for-3 with an rbi, and Cole Fowler went 1-for-3, with an rbi, as well.
The two teams will play the second game of their four-game series Friday night, at Historic Moller Field, beginning at 7:05 p.m.
