Moo Open Season With Road Win

Rich Ray • May 24, 2024

Pierre, South Dakota- Beginning its defense of the 2023 Independence League Baseball Association title, the Fremont Moo opened the 2024 season with a 6-4 victory over the Oahe

Zap, Thursday night at Hyde Stadium. Fremont put together a five-run eighth inning, leading to the Moo victory.

Both starting pitchers kept the opposing offenses from scoring over the first half of the contest. Zap starter Brady Glenn worked four innings and struck out two while only allowing one hit. Fremont starter, and Midland University product, Luke Hamzeh gave up just one hit over the first five innings, while striking out five Oahe batters.

Fremont got on the board in the top of the sixth inning when third baseman Carson Burnett led off with a double. The Ohlone College infielder would score the games’ first run three batters later when designated hitter Bridger Coleman singled, scoring Burnett. Coleman, from Allan Hancock College, put the Moo ahead 1-0. The Zap answered, though, in the bottom of the sixth. Nine-hole hitter Cole Ottesberg led off with a single, then stole second and third base. Two batters later, Jackson Mix dropped in a single, scoring Ottesberg, to tie the score at one apiece. Fremont reliever Alex Oliver, from Colorado State-Pueblo, relieved Hamzeh with two on in the inning, and recorded the last two outs to keep the score tied.

In the top of the eighth, Fremont took the lead for good. Cooper Fuchino, a catcher from Creighton, led off the inning with a double and advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Isaac Bonner, a second baseman from the University of Sioux Falls, singled, driving in Fuchino, to make it 2-1. Bridger Coleman drew a walk and two batters later, Brayden Chaney, a left fielder from Wayne State College, did the same, to load the bases. Dylan Brandenburg, a first baseman from Skyline College, reached on an infield single, scoring Bonner, and a throwing error brought in Coleman to make it 4-1. Brayden Hodges, a shortstop from Briar Cliff, singled to left, scoring Chaney, and an error on the left fielder brought home Brandenburg, to put Fremont ahead, 6-1.

The Zap cut into the lead in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jacob Trusner led off against reliever Zach Vincent, and drew a walk. The next batter, Andrew Phillips, did the same, before Tyler Hoffman reached on an infield single, to load the bases. Down to their last out, the Zap’s Trey Martin hit a flyball to center field which looked to be the final play of the game, but the ball went right through the webbing of center fielder Miles Meadows’ glove, allowing three runs to score, making it 6-4. However, Vincent got Oahe leadoff batter Brandon Weigel to ground out to shortstop for the final out of the game, giving the Moo the 6-4 victory.

Moo starter Luke Hamzeh pitched 5.1 innings, giving up one run, four hits, one walk, struck out five and hit one batter. Alex Oliver (1-0) earned the win, working 2.2 innings, giving up one hit, with four strikeouts. Zack Vincent pitched 1.0 inning, giving up three unearned runs, one hit, one strikeout and two walks.

Oahe starter Brady Glenn pitched 4.0 innings, giving up one hit, with two strikeouts and two walks. Garrett Bergmann worked 2.0 innings of relief, yielding four hits, earning two strikeouts, hitting one batter and walking one. Lucas Crichton (0-1) took the loss. He pitched 1.1 innings, giving up five runs, two earned, four hits, striking out one and walking two. Angel Escobar pitched 1.2 innings, giving up one hit and striking out two.

Offensively, Fremont’s Carson Burnett was 2-for-5, with a double. Isaac Bonner went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bridger Coleman was 2-for-4. Dylan Brandenburg was 1-for-4 with an RBI, and Brayden Hodges was 1-for-4, also with a run batted in.

Fremont scored six runs off ten hits and committed two errors. Oahe tallied four runs off six hits and had three errors.

Fremont (1-0) and Oahe (0-1) will play game two of their four-game weekend series Friday night at Hyde Stadium. First pitch is 6:05pm. The game will be broadcast on Big Dog Country, 98.9 FM and 1340 AM, KHUB. Audio will also stream on the Moo website at www.fremontmoo.com.

More Information: After a five-game road trip to begin the season, Fremont will play its first home game Thursday, May 30th when they host the Casper Spuds in game one of a two-game series. The matchup will be a rematch of the 2023 ILB Championship Series, which Fremont claimed three games to two, in August. Opening night at Historic Moller Field is “Thirsty Thursday”. Fans can purchase 16 ounce Busch, Bud Light and Michelob Ultra Beer for just $3. Also, there are $1 discounts on Coke products and Dasani bottled water. In addition, half of the proceeds from Thursday evening’s home opener will go to the Elkhorn Athletic Association to

aid in tornado relief. For tickets and more information, go to www.fremontmoo.com/tickets.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Sodbusters Sweep Moo

By Rich Ray • 16 Jun, 2024

Hastings, Nebraska - In Independence League Baseball Association Saturday night, the Hastings Sodbusters swept a doubleheader from the Fremont Moo, 3-1 and 5-1. With the losses, Fremont has lost three straight games, which ties the longest skid of the season for the Moo. In game one, Hastings got things going in the bottom of the first. Against Fremont starter Zach Vincent, Drew Vega led off with a single and stole second base. Two batters later, Sawyer Duddleston singled to put runners at first and third. Then, Kale Jensen hit an rbi single, scoring Vega, to make it 1-0. Two batters later, Ryan Jarvis singled, driving in Duddleston, to make it a 2-0 Sodbusters lead. Fremont got on the board in the top of the second. Against Hastings starter Jack Kruger, Isaac Bonner led off the inning with a double. Two batters later, Connor Peterson hit an rbi double, bringing in Bonner, to make the score 2-1. The Sodbusters pushed across another run in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Jackson Crain doubled. Then, Alexiel Delgado hit an rbi single, scoring Crain, to make the score, 3-1. Both teams stalled offensively the remainder of the game. In the top of the seventh, Hunter Snyder hit a two-out single for Fremont. However, Jack Kruger struck out Cooper Fuchino looking, to end the game. Hastings scored three runs off nine hits with one error. Fremont had one run off four hits and no errors. Hastings starter Jack Kruger (3-0) earned the win. He pitched all seven innings, giving up one run off four hits, struck out six and walked one. Fremont's Zach Vincent (1-2) took the loss. He pitched 6.0 innings, giving up three runs off nine hits, struck out three and walked one and hit one batter. Offensively for Hastings, Kale Jensen was 1-for-3 with an rbi. Ryan Jarvis went 3-for-3 and drove in a run. Alexiel Delgado was 2-for-2 with one run batted in. For Fremont, Connor Petersen was 1-for-3 with one rbi. In game two, Hastings got the scoring started in the bottom of the first, again. With one out, Josh Prinner was hit by a pitch from Fremont starter Reece Kortum. After a wild pitch advanced Prinner to second, Sawyer Duddleston singled, driving in Prinner, to make it 1-0. The Sodbusters put together their biggest inning of the night in the third, sending ten batters to the plate and scoring four runs. Drew Vega led off with a single. Then, Josh Prinner walked, to put runners at first and second. Three batters later, Yamato Sato hit a two-rbi single to right field, scoring Vega and Prinner, to make it 3-0. Ryan Jarvis and Tyler Welsh walked, and that ended the night for Reece Kortum. Ryan Semin came on in relief and gave up an rbi single to Nathan Masar, scoring Sato, to make it 4-0. The next batter, Alexiel Delgado, drew a bases loaded walk, bringing home Jarvis, to make it a 5-0 Hastings lead. Fremont got on the board in the top of the sixth. Against Hastings reliever Michael Hanna, Trey Brooks drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Cooper Fuchino singled and after a throw came through the infield to home, Fuchino took off for second, but was thrown out. Meanwhile, Brooks scored on the play, to make it 5-1. The Moo tried to put something together in the top of the seventh against reliever Markus Miller. Bridger Coleman drew a lead off walk. Dean Reynolds flew out to left and Isaac Bonner reached on a fielder's choice, while Coleman was forced out at second. Miller struck out Tyrus Petsche to end the game, giving the Sodbusters the doubleheader sweep. Hastings (10-5) scored five runs off five hits with no errors. Fremont (11-8) scored one run off three hits with no errors. Sodbusters starter Jude Sundquist (2-1) earned the win. He pitched 5.0 innings, giving up two hits, struck out five and walked three. Michael Hanna pitched 1.0 inning, giving up one run off one hit and walked one. Markus Miller pitched 1.0 inning and walked one. Fremont starter Reece Kortum (1-2) pitched 2.2 innings, giving up five runs off four hits, struck out two and walked five. Ryan Semin pitched 3.1 innings, giving up one hit, struck out three and walked one. Offensively for Hastings, Drew Vega was 2-for-4. Sawyer Duddleston was 1-for-3 with an rbi. Yamato Sato was 1-for-3 and drove in two runs. Nathan Masar was 1-for-2 with an rbi, and Alexiel Delgado went 0-2, but drew a bases-loaded walk. Fremont could only muster three singles off Sodbuster pitching. With the losses Fremont slipped to third place in the ILB standings, 3.0 games behind the league-leading Casper Spuds, with one week left in the first half schedule. Both teams will have Sunday off, then will play each other again, Monday night at 6:35 p.m., at Duncan Field. The game will be broadcast on Big Dog Country, 98.9 FM and 1340 AM, KHUB. Rich Ray and Alex Burstein will have the call, beginning at 6:15 p.m. Audio will also stream at: www.fremontmoo.com/mixlr .