Fremont, Nebraska – The Fremont Moo ended a three-game losing skid in dramatic fashion with an 8-7 walk-off victory over the Spearfish Sasquatch, Sunday, at Historic Moller Field. The Fremont win salvaged the final game of the four-game series and ended the Moo’s longest losing streak of the season.
The starting pitchers for both teams controlled the game in the first three innings as Luke Hamzeh, for Fremont, and Jackson Renz, for Spearfish kept the game a scoreless tie. The Sasquatch got on the scoreboard first, in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Kyle Phin doubled off of Hamzeh. Two batters later, Ben Tate drew a walk. A pickoff attempt at third base by Hamzeh rolled into foul territory and allowed the runner at first, Tate, to advance to second. On a 1-1 pitch, Micah Coleman hit a three-run home run over the left-center field fence, to put the Sasquatch up, 3-0.
Fremont got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Stephen Espinoza singled. Grant Nottleman followed with a single, to put runners at first and second. Then, Carson Burnett delivered an rbi single, scoring Espinoza, to make it a 3-1 contest.
The Moo sent eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth and scored three runs, to take their first lead of the game. Trey Brooks led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. He advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Josh Blount hit a bouncing ball to shortstop where Micah Coleman threw to third and Trey Brooks was caught in a rundown. However, Brooks eluded a throw, back to second base and was safe, giving Fremont runners at first and second. Spearfish went to the bullpen and brought in Cole Kreber. Two batters later, Tyrus Petsche reached on an infield single, to load the bases. Stephen Espinoza hit a bouncing ball to second, but Ryan Bachman’s throw was wide allowing Brooks and Blount to score on the play, to tie the game at 3-3. The next batter, Grant Nottleman, hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Petsche, putting Fremont ahead 4-3.
The Sasquatch responded by getting all three runs back in the top of the sixth. Off Fremont reliever, Brandt Phillips, Seth Nelson was hit by a pitch, then stole second base. Two batters later, Javier Marcial singled, to put runners at first and third. Then, Ben Tate hit a one-hopper to Dean Reynolds at third, however, the throw home was late and Nelson scored, to tie the game at 4-4. Marcial and Tate executed a double-steal, putting runners at second and third. Micah Coleman drew a walk, to load the bases. Then, Jake Dempsey drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Marcial, to make it 5-4, Spearfish. On the next play, Micah Wallette hit a fly ball to left which Grant Nottleman dropped. Notteleman recovered to throw the ball to third base to force out Micah Coleman, however, Tate scored, to put Spearfish ahead, 6-4.
The Moo tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Dean Reynolds led off with a walk and Isaac Bonner did the same, to put runners on first and second. Two batters later, Bridger Coleman hit an rbi double to left field, scoring Reynolds, to make the score, 6-5. Spearfish brought in reliever Michael Casillas. He walked Tyrus Petsche, loading the bases. Then, Stephen Espinoza drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Bonner, to tie the game at 6-6.
The Sasquatch recaptured the lead in the top of the seventh. Ben Green led off with a single. The next batter, Seth Nelson, reached on a fielder’s choice, and Green was forced out at second base, for the first out. The next batter, Kyle Phin, drew a walk to put runners at first and second. Fremont went to the bullpen and brought in Theo Hughes. On the first pitch, Nelson and Phin executed a double steal, putting runners on second and third. Then, Javier Marcial hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Nelson, to put Spearfish in front 7-6.
The score remained the same until the bottom of the ninth. Against reliever Aiden Torpey, Isaac Bonner led off the inning hitting a bouncing ball to third base. However, Ben Tate’s throw sailed high, and went out of play, putting Bonner on second. The next batter, Trey Brooks, was hit by a pitch, for the third time in the game, and that put runners at first and second. An errant pickoff attempt to second base by catcher Jake Dempsey advanced Bonner to third and Brooks to second. With one out in the inning, Spearfish elected to intentionally walk Bridger Coleman, to load the bases. The next batter, Tyrus Petsche, hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Bonner and advancing Brooks to third and tying the game at 7-7. The next batter, Stephen Espinoza, hit a Torpey 1-2 pitch back up the middle, into center field, scoring Brooks, and giving Fremont the walk-off victory, 8-7.
Fremont (7-5) scored eight runs off eight hits and committed two errors. Spearfish (7-8) had seven runs on eight hits and had three errors, two of which came in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Fremont starter Luke Hamzeh, from Gilbert, Arizona, and MIdland University, pitched 5.0 innings, giving up three runs off five hits, striking out one and walking one. Brandt Phillips, the Fremont native at Hutchinson Community College, pitched 1.1 innings, giving up four runs off two hits, striking out one and walking three. Theo Hughes (1-0) earned the win. The Seward native at Nebraska Wesleyan University pitched 2.1 innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.
Spearfish’s Jackson Renz pitched 4.0 innings, giving up two earned runs off four hits, striking out four, walking one, with one wild pitch and hitting one batter. Cole Kreber pitched 1.2 innings, giving up two earned runs off two hits, striking out three and walking two. Michael Casillas pitched 0.1 innings, giving up one hit and walking two. Cade Bridges pitched 1.1 innings, striking out one, walking three, had one wild pitch and hit one batter. Aiden Torpey (1-1) took the loss. He pitched 1.1 innings, giving up two unearned runs off two hits, struck out two, walked one and hit one batter.
Offensively for Fremont, Bridger Coleman, the Lompac, California native at Allan Hancock College, was 1-for-5 with an rbi. Tyrus Petsche, the Lincoln native at Johnson County Community College, was 1-for-4 and drove in a run. Stephen Espinoza, from Lompac, California and Charleston Southern University, was 2-for-4 with two rbi’s, including the walk-off rbi single in the bottom of the ninth. Carson Burnett, a Poway, California native at Ohlone College, was 1-for-5 with an rbi.
For Spearfish, Javier Marcial was 1-for-4 with an rbi. Micah Coleman was 1-for-3 with a three-run home run. Jake Dempsey was 0-for-3, but brought home a run on a bases loaded walk.
The Sasquatch will host the Oahe Zap, in Spearfish, Tuesday night. Fremont will open a two-game series with the Casper Spuds, Monday night, at Historic Moller Field.
More information: With the Fremont win and Casper and Hastings both recording victories on Sunday, the Moo kept pace with the two teams ahead of them in the standings. Casper leads the way at 10-2. Hastings is 2.5 games back at 7-4, while Fremont is in third place, 3.0 games behind Casper, at 7-5.
The two game series with Fremont and Casper which begins Monday, is a rescheduled series, which was rained out on May 30th and 31st. By making up the games on Monday and Tuesday of this week, the originally scheduled game between Fremont and the Nebraska Prospects on Tuesday has been moved to July 10th. Monday night’s game between Fremont and Casper is the first meeting between the two teams that played in the 2023 ILB Championship Series, which Fremont won, three games to two. Monday night is “Make a Difference Monday”, at Historic Moller Field. There will be a Pre-Game Kids Clinic for ages 6-14, from 5:30-6:30 p.m, which is included for those fans who wish to participate, with their game ticket. Half of the ticket proceeds goes to the Elkhorn Athletic Association for tornado relief for families affected by the recent storms. Plus, fans can get 10% off all Moo Merchandise. First pitch is 7:05 p.m.
