Spearfish, South Dakota – It took all day….literally. The game lasted two hours and forty three minutes. But, two weather delays that were caused by a pair of severe thunderstorms across the Black Hills forced three hours and fifty-eight minutes of waiting before the Fremont Moo defeated the Spearfish Sasquatch 15-6, Sunday night at Black Hills Energy Stadium.
The scenario for Fremont going into the day was win and advance, or lose, and The Moo would have their season end. Spearfish needed a win and a Hastings loss to advance to the championship series. After the second weather delay, Fremont led 7-0, after four innings. At the time, Hastings had lost, giving Spearfish hope for a Championship Series appearance with a comeback win. It appeared it might happen, as Spearfish scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth, to make it a 7-6 game. However, Fremont pulled away scoring eight unanswered runs to secure their spot in the Series with the Casper Spuds, beginning Tuesday.
Fremont plated six runs in the top of the first inning. Facing Spearfish starter Russell Peterson, Fremont’s Jack Torosian singled with one out. Then, Cooper Fuchino doubled. Two batters later, Connor Petersen singled, driving in Torosian, making it 1-0. Then, Miles Meadows singled, scoring Fuchino, to make it 2-0. The next batter, Kayden Anderson hit a two-rbi double, scoring Petersen and Meadows to make it a 4-0 Fremont advantage. The next batter, Isaac Bonner tripled, scoring Anderson to make it a 5-0 Moo lead. Then, the first severe thunderstorm rolled through Spearfish, causing a one hour and forty seven minute delay. After the wait, Bridger Coleman singled off reliever Jake Dempsey, scoring Bonner, to make it a 6-0 Fremont lead.
The Moo added a run in the third. Connor Petersen led off with a double. Two batters later, Kayden Anderson walked. Then, Isaac Bonner walked to load the bases. The next batter, Bridger Coleman, singled, scoring Petersen, to make it a 7-0 Moo lead.
Fremont kept the 7-0 lead through four full innings, when the second severe thunderstorm rolled through, causing another delay, this time for two hours and eleven minutes.
Spearfish started its comeback in the bottom of the fifth. Facing Fremont starter Zach Vincent, who stayed on the mound, even after the two delays, Spearfish’s Micah Coleman led off the inning with a double. Then, Chase Scott singled, scoring Coleman, to make it 7-1. Two batters later, Daniel Cook singled. Fremont went to the bullpen and brought in Theo Hughes, to pitch. Matthew Gonzales doubled, scoring Scott to make it 7-2. Then, Ben Green hit a two-rbi double, plating Cook and Gonzales, to make it 7-4. A wild pitch advanced Green to third. Nolan Ackerman drew a walk. Two batters later, Javier Marcial hit a two-rbi double, scoring Green and Ackerman, to make it 7-6, before Fremont got out of the inning.
Fremont responded to the Sasquatch comeback effort, by plating six runs of their own in the top of the sixth. Josh Blount led off the inning with a walk against Spearfish reliever Elijah Bobo. Then, Jack Torosian walked. Two batters later, Carter Sintek singled to load the bases. Then, Connor Petersen was hit by a pitch, to score Blount, and put Fremont up 8-6. The next batter, Miles Meadows, singled, scoring Torosian, to make it 9-6. Kayden Anderson singled, and an errant throw from right scored Petersen, to make it 10-6. A wild pitch scored Meadows, to make it 11-6. Isaac Bonner drew a walk and two batters later, Josh Blount drew a walk. After Jack Torosian drew a bases loaded walk, Fremont led 13-6.
The Moo added two more runs in the ninth. Facing reliever Matthew Gonzales, Jack Torosian singled and stole second. Two batters later, Carter Sintek singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Connor Petersen hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Torosian, to make it 14-6. Then, Miles Meadows singled, scoring Sintek, to make it 15-6.
In the bottom of the ninth, Theo Hughes retired the Sasquatch in order, securing the Moo victory and a spot in the ILB Championship Series.
Fremont (33-19, 20-8) scored fifteen runs off seventeen hits with no errors. Spearfish (30-20, 16-9) had six runs off ten hits and one error.
Moo starter Zach Vincent pitched 4.1 innings, giving up three runs off five hits. Theo Hughes (3-0) earned the win in relief. He pitched 4.2 innings, giving up three runs off five hits, struck out one, walked one and hit two batters.
Spearfish starter Russell Peterson (2-3) took the loss. He pitched 0.2 innings, giving up five runs off six hits and struck out one. Jake Dempsey pitched 3.1 innings, giving up two runs off five hits. Elijah Bobo pitched 2.0 innings, giving up five earned runs off three hits, struck out two and walked six, had one wild pitch and hit one batter. Nathan Harb pitched 0.2 innings, and walked one. Chase Scott pitched 1.0 inning and struck out two. Matthew Gonzales pitched 1.0 inning, giving up two runs off three hits, struck out one and had one wild pitch.
Offensively for Fremont, Jack Torosian was 2-for-4 with an rbi. Carter Sintek was 2-for-5. Connor Petersen was 3-for-4 and drove in three runs. Miles Meadows was 3-for-6 with three rbi’s. Kayden Anderson was 2-for-5 and had three rbi’s. Isaac Bonner was 1-for-3 and drove in one run. Bridger Coleman was 2-for-5 with two rbi’s.
For Spearfish, Matthew Gonzales was 2-for-5 with an rbi. Ben Green was 1-for-4 with two rbi’s. Ryan Bachman was 2-for-5. Javier Marciel was 1-for-3 and drove in two. Chase Scott was 1-for-4 with an rbi. Daniel Cook was 2-for-4.
Fremont will play the Casper Spuds in the best-of-five ILB championship series beginning Tuesday, July 30th. Games one and two will take place at Historic Moller Field in Fremont, Tuesday and Wednesday. Game three will be at Mike Lansing Field, in Casper, Wyoming, Friday, August 2nd. With games four and five, if necessary, on Saturday and Sunday, August 3rd and 4th, in Casper.
Tuesday night’s game is scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. start.
