Casper, Wyoming- Wednesday night at Mike Lansing Field, The Fremont Moo were six outs away from snapping their five-game losing streak. However, there are not twenty-one outs in a game…there are twenty-seven. Casper took advantage of their opportunities by plating seven runs in the eighth, and came from behind to take the lead, and close out the game in the ninth, for an 8-3 win over Fremont.
Casper took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, facing Fremont starter Baylor Hicks, The Spuds’ Dawson Baraconi was hit by a pitch. The next batter, Matt Marsic, drew a walk. Then, Chandler Stocking delivered an rbi single to center field, scoring Baraconi, to make it a 1-0, Casper lead.
Fremont put together a productive top of the fourth to take their first lead of the night. Facing Casper starter Jason Fink, Fremont’s Grant Nottleman led off the inning with a walk. Two batters later, Isaac Bonner singled to put runners at first and second. A passed ball advanced the runners to second and third. Then, Connor Petersen hit a two-rbi single to right-center field, scoring Nottleman and Bonner, and putting Fremont ahead, 2-1.
The Moo extended the lead in the top of the seventh. Hunter Snyder led off with a single. The next batter, Cole Fowler, laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Snyder to second. Then, Wyatt Yetter hit a soft, bouncing ball to first that was misplayed by Josh Phillips, and allowed Snyder to score, putting Fremont ahead, 3-1.
In the bottom of the eighth, Fremont went to the bullpen and brought in Theo Hughes to pitch. The first batter, Elijah Reeves, reached on a throwing error by Hunter Snyder at shortstop, which advanced Reeves to second. Two batters later, Dylan Schlotterback singled, putting runners at first and third. Then, Josh Phillips doubled, scoring Reeves, to make it 3-2. Fremont went to the bullpen and brought in Bobby Simmons. The appearance for the former member of the Spuds did not go well. Dawson Baraconi singled, scoring Schlotterback, to tie the game at 3-3. Then, Matt Marsic singled, scoring Phillips, which gave the Spuds the lead, 4-3. Chandler Stocking was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Then, Kenny Jackson hit a Simmons 2-0 pitch over the right field fence for a grand slam homerun, putting the Spuds up, 8-3.
In the top of the ninth, reliever Josh Phillips retired the first two Fremont batters before The Moo’s Trey Brooks was hit by a pitch. However, Phillips got Wyatt Yetter to ground out to third, to end the game.
Casper (16-4) scored eight runs off eight hits and committed three errors. Fremont (11-11) plated three runs from three hits with one error.
Casper starter Jason Fink pitched 7.0 innings, giving up two earned runs off three hits, struck out eight, walked two, had one wild pitch and hit two batters. Armani Knipper (1-0) earned the win. He pitched 1.0 inning, struck out two, walked one and had one wild pitch. Josh Phillips pitched 1.0 inning and hit one batter.
Fremont starter Baylor Hicks pitched 7.0 innings, giving up one run off three hits, struck out four, walked three and hit two batters. Theo Hughes (1-1) took the loss. He pitched 0.1 innings, giving up three unearned runs off two hits. Bobby Simmons pitched 0.2 innings, giving up four unearned runs off three hits, struck out one, hit one batter, and gave up the grand slam home run to Kenny Jackson.
Offensively for Casper, Josh Phillips was 1-for-4 with an rbi. Dawson Baraconi was 1-for-3 with one run driven in. Matt Marsic was 2-for-3 with an rbi. Chandler Stocking was 1-for-3 and drove in a run. Kenny Jackson was 1-for-4 with a grand slam home run.
For Fremont, Connor Petersen was 1-for-3 and drove in two runs.
With the victory, Casper evened up the season series with the Moo at two games apiece. Fremont dropped its sixth straight game and dropped its record to 11-11. The .500 winning percentage is the first for Fremont since game two of the season. Casper will begin a series with The Plainsmen, Thursday, at Mike Lansing Field.
Fremont will travel to Hastings and play game six of its seven-game road trip versus the Sodbusters Thursday night, at Duncan Field. First pitch is 6:35 p.m.
