Moo- 6, Hastings- 5

Fremont (R-H-E): 6-10-2. Hastings (R-H-E): 5-11-4

Win: Marco Ibarra (1-0); Loss: Markus Miller (0-1) Save: Trey Nichols (1)

HR: Fremont:  None; Hastings: None

Hastings, Nebraska- The Fremont Moo got major contributions from three players seeing their first action of the year, in a 6-5 win at Duncan Field, Tuesday night. Moo returner Marco Ibarra, (1-0), a junior right-hander from Cal State Chico made his first appearance back for the Moo. The 2022 IBL All-teamer worked six innings while striking out seven for the victory. Tyler Harrington, a mainstay at third base for Fremont last season, delivered a key rbi triple in the sixth inning. Also, Harry Hayman, went 3-for-4 with a rbi. The first baseman from Melbourne, Australia, via Barton Community College, played in his first game with the Moo.

Fremont scored first with two runs in the top of the second. Hayman and Braden Sweet led off with back-to-back singles. Two batters later, Tyler Hummel delivered a rbi single, scoring Hayman. Then, Hunter Palmer hit a sacrifice fly to right, bringing home Sweet to put Fremont up, 2-0.

The Moo would add a run in the third. Tyman Long led off and reached on a two base throwing error from short. Then, Hayman followed with a rbi single to make it 3-0, Moo.

Hastings got on the board in the fourth. Markos Cabranes, Gage Franck and Nick Jones delivered three consecutive one-out singles, the last of which scored Cabranes to make it 3-1, in favor of Fremont.

Fremont got the run back in the top of the fifth. Long led off with a single. Hayman followed with a single of his own, and an error in left field, advanced Long to third base. Two batters later, Nick Kemp delivered a rbi fielder's choice, scoring Long, making it 4-1, the Moo.

The Sodbusters answered in the bottom half as Grant Jones was hit by an Ibarra pitch to lead off the inning. After a two-out walk to lead off batter, Ty Mattson, Jones advance to third on a passed ball by Long, and scored on Long's errant throw to third, making the score 4-2, Fremont, after five innings.

In the sixth, Fremont plated two unearned runs off reliever Adam DeBoer. Palmer led off with a single and then advanced to second when a pickoff attempt was not handled by first baseman Kaden Kuusella. Josh Blount, then, reached on an error at short, to put runners at the corners. Palmer would then score on a wild pitch that also advanced Blount to second making it 5-2. Then on a 2-2 pitch, Harrington delivered a rbi triple in the right field corner to extend the Moo lead to 6-2, after six innings.

Hastings then made things interesting. The Sodbusters scored one in the sixth. Gage Franck led off with a double, then, Nick Jones singled to put runners at the corners. Marco Ibarra got Kannon Coackley to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, one of three turned by the Moo, on the night. The twin killing brought in Franck, though, making it 6-3, Moo, after six innings.

After a scoreless top of the seventh, Fremont turned the ball over to reliever Trey Nichols. The senior from Bowling Green, Missouri, and Midland University Warrior, pitched a scoreless seventh but ran into trouble in the eighth. Cabranes led off with a single and two batters later, Nick Jones drew a walk and Coackley followed suit to load up the bases. Cabranas would score on a Nichols wild pitch making 6-4, then Grant Jones reached on an error by Ben Swails at shortstop, scoring Nick Jones, making it 6-5. However, NIchols got out of the jam, getting Korben Rich to fly out to left field for the final out of the inning.

The Moo were held scoreless in the ninth. In the bottom half of the inning, Nichols retired the first two batters before Cabranes delivered his fourth hit of the game, on a single to center. On the very next pitch, Cabranes took off to steal second and did not get a very good jump. Long threw a laser to Tyler Hummer at second base. Midway through the throw, Cabranas stopped and got caught in a rundown, as Hummel chased him back to first and tossed to Hayman who applied the tag for the final out of the game.

Fremont's Ibarra pitched six innings, giving up eight hits, three runs, struck out seven and walked one.

Nichols pitched three innings, giving up three hits, one earned run, striking out three and walked two, to earn his first save.

Hastings' Markus MIller pitched five innings, giving up eight hits, three earned runs, striking out three and walking three.

Adam DeBoer pitched one inning, giving up two hits, one earned run, striking out three, with no walks.

Connor Cholez pitched two innings, striking out three and walking two.

Jacob Shaw pitched one inning, retiring all three batters he faced.

Offensively, Fremont was led by Harry Hayman, going 3-for-4 with a rbi and Hunter Palmer who was 2-for-5 with a run batted in.

The Sodbusters' Markos Cabranes was 4-for-5, while Gage Franck and Nick Jones both went 2-for-4.

Up Next:  The Moo (5-2) will host Hastings (0-6) on Wednesday at 7:05pm at Historic Moller Field, in Fremont, in game two of the two-city, three game series. For ticket information, go to fremontmoo.com/tickets or call (402) 816-4110.

On the Air: All Moo home and road games are broadcast on radio on Big Dog Country, 98.9 FM and 1340 AM, Games can be heard on smart phones, iPads, and other mobile devices via the Moo website, fremontmoo.com/mixlr. 

More Information:  Wednesday's home game is Moo win, You win, Wednesday. If the Moo win, all fans in attendance will receive a free General Admission ticket to the next Wednesday home game. Also, it's Nine Innings of Winning. Each fan through the gates will receive one ticket for a chance to win prizes like: Home Plate Club tables, Moo merchandise, and many other prizes. Fans can also purchase additional chances to win and those proceeds will benefit CHAD...Combined Health Agencies Drive, who will be in attendance raising funds. Also, fans can get $2 hot dogs and $3 alcohol, excluding beer, like White Claws, Cayman Jack, Vizzy and more.