Spearfish, South Dakota – The Fremont Moo recorded a 12-9 victory over the Spearfish Sasquatch at Black Hills Energy Stadium, Friday night. With the Moo win, Fremont needs to win one of the next two games, Saturday or Sunday, to qualify for the Independence League Baseball Association Championship Series.
Fremont’s offense contributed quickly in the top of the first. With one out against Spearfish starter Jordan Boman, The Moo’s Jack Torosian doubled. Two batters later, Carter Sintek drew a walk. Then, Bridger Coleman hit a two-rbi double, scoring Torosian and Sintek, to put Fremont ahead, 2-0. The next batter, Parker Mooney, doubled, scoring Coleman, to make it 3-0. Then, Kayden Anderson followed suit with an rbi double, plating Mooney, making it a 4-0 Fremont lead. Isaac Bonner walked. Then, Miles Meadows hit an rbi single, scoring Anderson, to make it a 5-0 Fremont lead.
Spearfish just about wiped out The Moo advantage in the bottom of the first. With one out, Ben Green drew a walk off Fremont starter Logan Anderson. Then, an errant pickoff attempt advanced Green to third. Parker Mooney’s throw back into the infield bounced out of play and Green scored, making it 5-1. The next batter, Kyle Phin, singled. Ryan Bachman did the same to put two runners aboard. Then, Javier Marcial was hit by a pitch, to load the bases. The next batter, Micah Coleman, drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Phin, to make it 5-2. Micah Coleman scored on a wild pitch, to make it 5-3. Then, Nolan Ackerman hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Marcial, to make it a 5-4 game.
Fremont responded with two runs in the top of the second. Jack Torosian led off with a double. However, he was caught attempting to steal third, for the first out. Then, Cooper Fuchino drew a walk. Carter Sintek singled. Then, Bridger Coleman drew a walk to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Fuchino, to make it 6-4. Then, Parker Mooney hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Sintek, to put Fremont ahead, 7-4.
The Sasquatch cut the Fremont lead to one in the bottom of the fifth. Ben Green led off with a single. The next batter, Kyle Phin, hit an Anderson 2-2 pitch over the left field fence for a two-run home run, to make it a 7-6 game.
Spearfish tied the game in the top of the sixth. Facing Fremont reliever Theo Hughes, The Sasquatch’s Matthew Gonzales singled. Then, Seth Nelson reached on a fielder’s choice, as Gonzales was forced out at second. Nelson attempted to steal second, but was thrown out by Moo catcher Bridger Coleman, for the second out. Ben Green drew a walk. Then, Kyle Phin singled. The next batter, Ryan Bachman, hit an rbi single, scoring Green, to make it a 7-7 tie.
Fremont recaptured the lead for good in the top of the eighth. With one out, against reliever Aiden Torpey, The Moo’s Miles Meadows tripled to the left-center field gap. The next batter, Josh Blount, singled, scoring Meadows, to make it 8-7. Then, disaster struck for the Sasquatch infield, who committed three straight errors, leading to Moo runs. Jack Torosian reached on an error at shortstop by Micah Coleman. A wild pitch scored Blount, to make it 9-7. Cooper Fuchino reached on another error at short by Coleman, scoring Torosian, to make it 10-7. Then, Carter Sintek got aboard on an error by Matthew Gonzales. Two batters later, Fremont pinch-hitter Connor Petersen hit a two-rbi double to right, scoring Fuchino and Sintek, to make it a 12-7 Fremont lead.
The Sasquatch cut the Moo lead in half in the bottom of the eighth. Ben Green led off the inning with a walk. Fremont brought in Alex Oliver to pitch. Two batters later, Ryan Bachman singled. Then, Javier Marcial drove home Green with a single, to make it 12-8. Micah Coleman drew a walk. Then, Nolan Ackerman hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Bachman, to make the score 12-9. However, Oliver struck out Patrick Rakes, looking to end the inning.
After the Moo went scoreless in the top of the ninth, Alex Oliver struck out Matthew Gonzales for the first out. Then, Seth Nelson grounded out to short for out number two. Ben Green drew a walk to extend the game. However, Oliver struck out Kyle Phin, swinging at a 2-2 curveball to end the game.
Fremont (32-18, 19-7) scored twelve runs off thirteen hits and committed two errors. Spearfish (29-19, 15-8) had nine runs off fourteen hits and had three errors.
Moo starter Logan Anderson pitched 5.0 innings, giving up five earned runs off seven hits, struck out five, walked two, yielded the two-run home run to Kyle Phin, had one wild pitch and hit one batter. Theo Hughes (2-0) earned the win. He pitched 2.0 innings, giving up two runs off four hits, struck out two and walked two. Alex Oliver (5) picked up the save. He pitched 2.0 innings, giving up one run off two hits, struck out two and walked two.
Spearfish starter Jordan Boman pitched 4.0 innings, giving up seven runs off eight hits, struck out one, walked four and had one wild pitch. Aiden Torpey (3-2) took the loss. He pitched 5.0 innings, giving up two earned runs off five hits, struck out three and walked two and had one wild pitch.
Offensively for Fremont, Josh Blount was 2-for-6 with an rbi. Jack Torosian was 2-for-5. Bridger Coleman went 1-for-4 and drove in two. Parker Mooney was 1-for-3 and had two rbi’s. Connor Petersen was 1-for-1 with two rbi’s. Kaden Anderson went 1-for-5 and drove in one. Miles Meadows was 3-for-5 with an rbi.
For Spearfish, Kyle Phin was 3-for-6 with a two-run home run. Ryan Bachman was 3-for-5 with an rbi. Javier Marcial went 1-for-4 and drove in one run. Micah Coleman was 3-for-3. Nolan Ackerman went 2-for-5 with two runs batted in.
The two teams will play game two of the three game series Saturday night. First pitch at Black Hills Energy Stadium is 6:05 p.m. (MT) / 7:05 p.m. (CT).
