Courtesy of the Fremont Moo
The Fremont defense would commit nine errors as the Moo would fall to the Spuds 19-12.
Tuesday night brought in two teams jostling for pole position in the ILB second half. Both squads enter with identical 5-3 records in the second half and a win for either would separate each from each other and get a game closer to first.
The Spuds left fielder, Sean Glatts would rip a single to right to bring home the first run of the game in the second inning. The Moo would answer in back-to-back innings in the third and fourth innings. Joshua Hardamon (Midland) would walk home Henry Hayman (Akron) to tie the ballgame at one apiece. The fourth would see the Moo take the lead on a Henry Hayman single to drive home Grant Ryan (Northwest CC) to make it 2-1 Moo.Kneifl’s night would conclude after the fifth, but two runs would cross the plate before he would leave. Kody Clausius would fist a single into left to bring home the two runs to give the Spuds a 3-2 lead.
Aiden McGrath (Skyline) would relieve Kniefl in the sixth and defensive errors would cost him two runs. An error on Grant Ryan at short would allow two runs to score to make it 5-2 Spuds, going to the bottom of the inning where the Moo would strike big offensively.
Seven runs in total, thanks to Tanner Jacobsen (Cloud County) with a two-RBI double to get it started. A single from Tyman Long (North Dakota State) would plate the tying run making it 5-5. Seve Aguirre (Southeastern Oklahoma State) would get plunked with the bases loaded to give the Moo a one-run lead. Two more would score one bases-loaded walk, and a single from Rocco Geritano (Southern Union State CC) would see the Moo up 9-5, going into the seventh.
The Spuds struck back in the top of the seventh, putting across six runs in the inning to retake the lead. Eli Larson (Sioux Falls) would give up one earned run, with six crossing in total because of Moo errors. He would collect two outs before being pulled for Brayden Gum (Missouri State). Gum’s debut would see him walk three batters, but no runs that crossed would be charged against him as he would get the out to end the Spuds seventh. The scoreboard read 11-9, with Casper ahead.
The Moo’s defensive woes would continue in the eighth as two more errors would cost Joe Hauser (Creighton) three runs to make it 14-9 Casper. The bottom of the inning would see Rocco collect his third hit of the night and bring home a run. Then, Jacobsen would sacrifice himself to bring home Nate Wachter (South Dakota State). Hayman would dig in and drive home Grant Ryan to pull the Moo within two runs of a tie. Nick Kaumbulu would enter with two outs and two on as he would face Cooper Fuchino (Creighton). He would get Fuchino to roll over and end the threat in the 8th. The scoreboard would read 14-12 at the end of the eighth.
Drew Gilbert (Menlo) would enter in the ninth and walk the bases loaded. Gilbert’s struggles on the mound would continue as he would walk home two runs before making way for Caiden Brezinski (Butler). Brezinski would strike out his first batter before walking home a run that would be attributed to Gilbert, making it 17-12. The next pitch from Brezinski would be lined into left, scoring two more for the Spuds. Brezinski would manage out of the ninth with a strikeout, the scoreboard reading 19-12.
The Moo would go quietly in the bottom half to end the four-hour game 19-12, in favor of the Spuds.
The final line saw the Moo score twelve (12) runs on eleven (11) hits and commit nine (9) errors. The Spuds scored nineteen (19) runs on nine (9) hits and had one (1) error defensively.
Hunter Billingsley picks up the win for the Spuds, and Eli Larson gets handed the loss.
Fremont moves to a 15-17 record overall and a 5-4 second-half record. The Spuds move to a 22-12 overall record with a 6-3 second-half record.
The Moo are back tomorrow night at Moller Field to take on the Casper Spuds to wrap up the three-game series at 7:05.
