Courtesy of the Fremont Moo
The final homestand of the season at Moller Field would see the Moo lose 7-2 to the Nebraska Prospects on Monday night.
Fremont’s backs were against the wall heading into the ballgame against the Nebraska Prospects. The playoffs are fast approaching in ILB, and the Moo is sitting three and a half games back. They needed a victory and for the Bison to secure a victory over the Spearfish Sasquatch on the night to stay alive in the second-half pennant race.
Moo manager Conor McGonigal called upon Brooks Kneifl (Wayne State) to lead the way on the hill for the Moo. Kneifl would receive some early defensive help, as at the top of the first inning, with a runner on second, Mike Valdivia would go the opposite way with a line drive to right. Paul Schuyler would turn for home when Tyman Long (North Dakota State) would fire a rope to home to peg Schuyler at the plate, saving a run and ending the top of first.
The 0-0 score would continue up until the fourth. Kneifl would work three scoreless innings before the Prospects would plate a run in the fourth on a Finn Hockstein single. The Prospects would chase Kniefl out of the game with a one-out, two RBI double from Mike Valdivia to make it 3-0 Prospects. Landon Mueller (Eastern Michigan) would relieve Kneifl, inheriting two runners in scoring position. Mueller would strike out two batters to get the Moo defense off the field, limiting the damage to only two runs.
The Prospects starter, Charlie Mosser, would throw six shutout innings, striking out seven Moo batters before exiting in the seventh. Issac Bourges would take over and immediately run into trouble. A pair of walks would begin the inning, bringing the tying run, Henry Hayman (Akron), to the plate. Hayman would drop a single into center. Paul Schuyler would not be able to field it cleanly, allowing Grant Ryan (Northwest CC) to score. One run wasn’t enough for the Moo in the seventh as Cooper Fuchino (Creighton) would nearly ground into a double play. His hustle would plate a run as he would beat the throw to first. It would be all the Moo would strike for in the seventh as Fremont trailed, 3-2.
Mueller would be relieved by Nate Moquin (Nebraska-Omaha) in the eighth. The Prospects would bring in one run on a Cody Cizek sac fly to get a run back as the Moo trailed 4-2 going to the bottom of the inning, where they wouldn’t score.
The ninth would see the Prospects push across three runs in the ninth. The Prospect half would be highlighted by a Ripken Fleck two RBI single to left to give the Prospects their largest lead of the night. Fremont’s ninth would be a silent one as they fall 7-2 to the Prospects.
Charlie Mosser picks up the win while Brooks Kneifl gets the loss.
The Moo scored two (2) runs on six (6) hits, while committing one (1) error. The Prospects scored seven (7) runs on twelve (12) hits and committed one (1) error.
Fremont moves to a 21-24 record overall and an 11-11 second-half record. The Prospects move to an 8-19 overall record after the result.
The Moo are back at home Thursday night, starting a two-game series with the Oahe Zap beginning at 7:05 at Moller Field, as the final homestand of the season continues.
