The Pioneers strength this season has been their pitching and their bats, but only one of the two showed up to a two-game series in Fremont, Nebraska to take on the Moo. Game one was a pitcher’s duel which unraveled late in the Moo’s favor, while Game two was an absolute gem in which Trent Sellers no-hit the Pioneers in a 3-0 victory.
Thursday’s game was the first game back from the All-Star break and the first matchup of two of the best teams in the Clark Division. Shea Zetterman went up against Bryan Webb, and the two put on a clinic of starting pitching. Both went 6 innings with Zetterman allowing 3 hits, 1 walk, and 0 runs on 5 strikeouts, while Webb allowed 5 hits, 5 walks, and 1 run on 2 strikeouts. The only run that crossed through the first 6 innings was on an RBI groundout in the 3rd, but it was enough to put the Webb on the hook for the loss. The Pios had 4 hits and 2 doubles but could scratch across a run, and the 3 innings of combined relief from Jackson Gordon and Steven Boyd kept that zero in the run column. The Pios had 3 errors in the 7th and 8th which helped the Moo score 5 runs and run away to a 6-0 win.
Game two was a very similar story, but this time it was Trent Sellers and Luke Short to open the game. Short opened the game strong, without allowing a run on 5 strikeouts through the first 4 innings, but the first runs would cross in the 5th, when a bases loaded 1-out situation produced a would-be inning ending double play ball, but it took a nasty hop on shortstop Jarred Mazzaferro 2 runs would score. On the other side the Pios couldn’t get it done offensively, after having 5 runners reach in the first 4 innings, once again couldn’t produce the hit to produce a run.
That theme would continue the rest of the game, as Sellers found a grove in the 4th. After a leadoff error, the next 18 batters that game to the plate would be retired and on 134 pitches Sellers would complete the first Fremont Moo no-hitter. His final line was 9 innings, no hits, no runs, 1 walk, and 13 strikeouts. Fremont took both games and advanced to 35-15 and 15-4 in the second half, while the Pios fall to 32-16 and 9-8 in the second half.
