FREMONT – The Fremont offense exploded for a season high total in runs in blitzing Hastings, 18-4, Thursday night at historic Moller Field. The Moo piled up 18 runs on 15 hits, aided by 13 walks and two hit batters.
Listen to the game recap:
For the first time this series, the Moo took the lead. With one out in the bottom of the first, Cooper Morrison singled to center. Ronnie McBride doubled down the left field line, moving Morrison to third, then Morrison scored on Luke White’s ground out to shortstop. The Sodbusters tied it in the third, as Grant Schmidt lofted a two-out, solo home run to left to even the score at one.
Fremont responded in the bottom of the third. Dillon Sears and Kanin Dodge drew walks, and Morrison loaded the bases with a bunt single. Ronnie McBride drove in Sears with a bases-loaded walk, putting the Moo ahead 2-1. White followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Dodge, moving Morrison to third. Morrison scored on a passed ball to push the lead to 4-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, Fremont put the game away. With one out, Jack Simonsen, Ryan Koski and Sears drew three straight walks, loading the bases ahead of Dodge, who singled to right, scoring Simonsen and Koski. Sears scored one batter later when Morrison grounded out to second, growing the Moo lead to 7-1.
After Hastings tallied a run in the top of the sixth, Fremont blew the game open in the bottom of the sixth. Dodge reached on a hit by pitch but was erased on a fielder’s choice hit into by Morrison. McBride hammered a two-run home run to left to boost the lead to 9-2. With two outs, Matt Abdelnour snapped an 0-for-24 slump with a double to left. Taylor Howell drew a walk, then Abdelnour moved to third and Howell advanced to second on a wild pitch. A single by Jack Simonsen scored Abdelnour and Howell and pushed the lead to 11-2. Koski singled through the right side, putting two on with two out for Sears, who doubled to right to drive in Koski and make it 12-2. After Dodge drew a walk, Morrison singled to right, scoring Koski and Sears and growing the lead to 12, with Dodge moving to third on the play. McBride followed with a walk, and White singled up the middle to score Dodge and Morrison and push the lead to 16-2. In total in the sixth, Fremont sent 14 batters to the plate, scoring nine runs on seven hits while drawing three walks.
The Moo kept the heat on Hastings in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Jack Simonsen doubled to center. He moved to third when Koski grounded to short, then scored when Sears singled to left. After Dodge and Morrison drew walks, McBride rolled a broken-bat infield single to the left side to score Sears and push the lead to 16 runs. In the top of the ninth, Wyatt Andersen hit a two-run home run to cut the final margin to 14 runs.
Every Fremont batter had either a run or RBI. McBride was 3-for-5 with four RBI and his fifth home run of the season, while Morrison was 3-for-5 with three RBI. Simonsen was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI, while Dillon Sears was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two walks. In the leadoff spot, Dodge was 1-for-2 with two RBI, four walks and a hit by pitch. Overshadowed by the offensive explosion was a solid pitching performance by Hilton Mehrmann, who allowed just two earned runs in six innings pitched as he picked up his second win of the season.
The Moo and Sodbusters will continue their six-game series Friday night at 7:05 at Duncan Field in Hastings, in a game that will be broadcast on Big Dog 98.9 FM and 1340 AM and streamed online.
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