Fremont, Nebraska – A long day of baseball wrapped up Wednesday at Historic Moller Field. When the final out of the night was recorded, Fremont recorded two victories over the Hastings Sodbusters, 3-2 and 8-5. With the wins, Fremont swept the three game series from Hastings, plus, The Moo ran their current winning streak to five straight games.
After Tuesday night’s game was suspended due to weather in the bottom of the fifth inning, both teams picked up where the game was left off, Wednesday afternoon. The Moo started the action with a bang. With Connor Petersen at first base, and a 1-0 count on Fremont’s Hunter Snyder, the Sodbusters Adam DeBoer relieved Tuesday’s starter Braden Cork. On the first pitch of the resumed game, Hunter Snyder hit a two-run home run over the right field fence, to put Fremont ahead, 3-1.
The score remained the same until the top of the seventh. With one out, Hastings’ Alexiel Delgado hit a solo home run off Fremont reliever Hayden Kelberlau, to make the score, 3-2.
Neither team would score again. In the top of the ninth, Kelberlau retired the Sodbusters in order, to give The Moo the victory.
Fremont completed the suspended game scoring three runs off six hits with no errors. Hastings tallied two runs off six hits and committed no errors.
Moo starter Reece Kortum (2-2) earned the win. He pitched 5.0 innings, giving up one run off five hits, struck out two and walked three. Hayden Kelberlau (3) earned the save. He pitched 4.0 innings, giving up one run off one hit, struck out nine and walked three.
Hastings starter Braden Cork (1-2) took the loss. He pitched 4.0 innings, giving up two runs off four hits, struck out five and had one wild pitch. Adam DeBoer pitched 4.0 innings, yielding one run off two hits, struck out five and gave up one home run.
Offensively for Fremont, Josh Blount was 2-for-4 and Hunter Snyder was 1-for-3 with a two-run home run.
For Hastings, Alexiel Delgado was 2-for-5 with a home run. Luke Ray went 1-for-4 with an rbi.
Thirty minutes after the conclusion of the suspended game, the two teams played a nearly three hour contest in which The Moo would prevail, 8-5.
Hastings struck first in the top of the second. Against Fremont starter Dylan Driessen, Fred Bohn drew a walk. Two batters later, Kale Jensen did the same. With two outs, Drew Vega was hit by a pitch. Then Fred Bohn scored from third on a wild pitch to put Hastings in front, 1-0.
The Moo took advantage of free bases and timely hitting to control the middle innings. In the bottom of the second off Sodbusters’ starter Michael Hanna, Stephen Espinoza drew a walk and Grant Nottleman did the same. Two batters later, Hunter Snyder walked to load the bases before Cole Fowler drew a base on balls, bringing home Espinoza, to tie the game at 1-1. Two batters later, Wyatt Yetter drew a walk, scoring Nottleman, to put Fremont ahead, 2-1. Then, Cooper Fuchino drew a free pass, scoring Snyder, giving Fremont a 3-1 advantage.
Fremont added three more runs in the bottom of the third. Espinoza led off the inning with a double. Then, Grant Nottleman hit an rbi single, scoring Espinoza, to make it 4-1. Two batters later, Hastings went to the bullpen and brought in Alec Fichter. Hunter Snyder hit a smash off Hastings first baseman Jack Borgmann, which ricocheted into right field for a double, scoring Nottleman, to make it 5-1. The next batter, Cole Fowler, hit an rbi single to center, scoring Snyder, to make it a 6-1, Moo lead.
The Moo recorded its third straight multi-run inning in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Parker Mooney singled, Stephen Espinoza singled, then Grant Nottleman doubled, scoring Mooney, to make it 7-1. Two batters later, Hunter Snyder hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Espinoza, giving Fremont its largest advantage of the game, at 8-1.
Hastings got a run back in the top of the sixth. Against Fremont reliever Bobby Simmons, Kale Jensen drew a walk. Alexiel Delgado reached on a fielder’s choice when Jensen was forced out at second. Then, an infield single by Drew Vega, plus a throwing error by Espinoza at shortstop, put runners at first and third. A wild pitch scored Delgado, to make it an 8-2 game.
The most productive inning for Hastings came in the top of the seventh. Ryan Jarvis led off with a walk. Three batters later, Jack Borgmann doubled to put runners at second and third. Then, Kale Jensen hit a two-rbi single, scoring Jarvis and Borgmann, to make the score 8-4. The next batter, Alexiel Delgado, tripled to the center field fence, scoring Jensen, to make it an 8-5 game.
Neither team would score the remainder of the game. In the top of the ninth, Fremont reliever Theo Hughes gave up a pair of singles with one out. However, Hughes struck out pinch hitter Kyle Hiltbrand and got Alexiel Delgado to hit into a game-ending fielder’s choice, securing The Moo’s 8-5 win.
Fremont (16-11, 3-0) scored eight runs off eight hits with one error. Hastings (15-11, 0-3) had five runs with six hits and no errors.
Moo starter Dylan Driessen pitched 4.0 innings, giving up one run, with no hits, struck out seven, walked seven, had one wild pitch and hit one batter. Bobby Simmons (1-0) earned the win. He pitched 3.0 innings, giving up three earned runs off four hits, struck out three and walked three. Ryan Semin pitched 1.0 inning, giving up one hit and struck out one. Theo Hughes (1) earned the save. He pitched 1.0 inning, giving up two hits and struck out one.
Hastings starter Michael Hanna (0-1) took the loss. He pitched 2.1 innings giving up five runs off two hits, struck out two and walked six, with one wild pitch. Alec Fichter pitched 2.0 innings, giving up three runs off six hits, struck out three, walked two and had two wild pitches. Creighton Jacobitz worked 2.2 innings and struck out three. Kade Cartwright pitched 1.0 inning and struck out one.
Offensively for Fremont, Stephen Espinoza was 2-for-4. Grant Nottleman was 2-for-3 with two rbi’s. Hunter Snyder went 1-for-3 and drove in two runs. Cole Fowler was 1-for-3 with two rbi’s.
For Hastings, Kale Jensen was 1-for-1 with two rbi’s. Alexiel Delgado went 1-for-5 with one run batted in.
After snapping a six-game losing streak last week, Fremont has won five in a row and sits alone in first place of the ILB second half standings at 3-0. Also, Fremont has moved into second place in the overall season standings, overtaking the Sodbusters.
Hastings will have two days off before they begin a two-game series at the Oahe Zap. Fremont continues its 16-game home stand with a two-game series versus the Nebraska Prospects, Thursday night. First pitch is 7:05 p.m.
