Courtesy of the Fremont Moo
Cows win their second game of the second half with a 17-9 final over the Nebraska Prospects.
The Moo came home after their four-game road trip looking to pick up another win in the second half. Waiting for them when they got back were the Nebraska Prospects, an all too familiar foe who have had their success against the Moo this season, picking up three wins.
Brooks Kniefl (Wayne State) would take the mound opposite Nathan Anderson to start this one off at Moller Field. The Prospects would put runners on immediately as the first two batters in the lineup would reach on a hit and a walk against Kneifl. A ground out from Jacob Perrin would make it 1-0 Prospects after the top half of the first.
The Moo would answer the Prospect first with a five-run first. Tanner Jacobsen (Cloud County) would reach on a walk and score on a Michael Baker (Cal State-Chico) sacrifice fly to draw even. Then, with the bases loaded, Joshua Hardamon (Midland) would bring home two on a single into center. After Hardamon’s single brought the fans to their feet, Nate Wachter (South Dakota State) would keep them there with a two-RBI triple to make it 5-1 Moo at the end of the 32-minute first inning.
Both teams would go quietly in both the second and third as the score would remain 5-1, Moo.
The fourth would be Kniefl’s toughest inning to work through. Five runs would score on six hits and two Moo errors to put the Prospects up by a run. It was 6-5 Prospects as Fremont wouldn’t answer in the bottom of the fifth.
Parker Otte would relieve Kneifl in the sixth, and it took a few batters for him to find his rhythm. Two walks would begin the inning, then a double steal would move them into scoring position. A passed ball would bring home a run to make it 7-5.
The Moo would go scoreless in the sixth and the seventh, and the Prospects would push across another run on another Moo error in the seventh, making it 8-5 Prospects.
As the fans stretched for the seventh, it would rejuvenate the Moo bats. Michael Baker would reach on a walk, and Henry Hayman (Akron) would hit a double to put them both in scoring position for Joshua Hardamon. Hardamon would rocket one at Finn Hockstein at third. Hockstein knocked it down but lost track of the ball. Baker scored on the initial contact, and Hayman wouldn’t stop around third, and when Hockstein found the ball, he fired home. The throw would be in the dirt, allowing Hayman to score to make it 8-7
As soon as the Moo pulled it within one, the Prospects would get a run back with an RBI double from Avery Moore down the left field line to make it 9-7 Prospects in the top of the eighth.
Brinden Floyd (RCSJ) would lead off the bottom of the inning for the Moo with a walk. Behind him, Tanner Jacobson would work a walk. Brezinski (Butler) would extend his on-base streak to 13 games in a row as he would get plunked to load the bases.
Seve Aguirre (Southeastern Oklahoma State) would bring home a run on a fielder’s choice to pull it within one. Then, Michael Baker would double down the right field line to tie the game at nine. Tyman Long (North Dakota State) would get the intentional walk. Bases would remain loaded after Hayman would pop out to second. For the second out of the inning.
Then, Prospect pitcher Jack Harris would face The Hammer. Joshua Hardamon would double to right to clear the bases to give the Moo a 12-9 lead.
From there, it went from better to best for the Moo as they would push across five more runs on doubles from Nate Wacther, Tanner Jacobsen, and Seve Aguirre to end the ten-run inning. Moo started the eighth down 9-7 and finished it in front 17-9.
Joe Hauser (Creighton) would slam the door in the top of the ninth, securing the Moo’s 17-9 victory.
The final line saw the Moo score seventeen (17) runs on fourteen (14) hits and commit three (3) errors. The Prospects scored nine (9) runs on twelve (12) hits and had two (2) errors defensively.
Parker Otte (Iowa Central) picks up the win for the Moo while Jack Harris gets handed the loss.
Fremont moves to a 13-14 record overall and a 3-1 second-half record. The Prospects move to a 4-12 overall record.
The Moo are back tomorrow night at Moller Field to take on the Nebraska Prospects at 7:05, to finish the two-game series.
