Moo Recap: 7/18 - Moo fight hard in game three but are swept out of Pierre
Fremont drops the final game against the Zap and ends up swept out of Pierre with a 10-3 loss.
The Moo came into Hyde Stadium in the South Dakota capital looking to turn their second half around. With seven games left in the season, there was no margin for error for a team sitting two and a half games back from the top spot in the second half.
If the Moo were the foxhounds in the second-half pennant chase, then the Zap were the fox. The Zap entered the day in first place, one game up on the Casper Spuds. It was do or die for both teams in the Friday night matchup.
The Moo would ground into a double play in their first inning at the plate as they went scoreless. The Zap would work off a Moo error and plate two runs off of it, giving them a 2-0 lead at the end of the first.
Both would tiptoe through the second and the top of the third. The bottom of the inning would see Vince Pollizi bring home a Zap run on a single into center to bring home the first earned run against Moo starter Zach Vincent (Midland). It would be the only run the Zap would score in the inning as Vincent and Company would get out of the jam. The scoreboard read 3-0 Zap.
The Moo entered the fifth down by three and hitless. The first batter of the inning was Tyman Long (North Dakota State). He would collect the Moo’s first hit and first run with his second home run of the season over the right field wall. It would put a jolt into the Moo offense as the next three hitters would reach on balls in play. Joshua Hardamon (Midland) would make his way to third and score on a Carter Schellsmidt sacrifice fly. The inning would end soon after Schellsmidt’s sacrifice, and the Moo would be down by a run.
The following inning would be a big inning for both teams. Big for the Moo because they would tie the game. A single from Henry Hayman (Akron), followed by a double from Cooper Fuchino (Creighton), would put the two in scoring position for Joshua Hardamon to drive them in. Hardamon would get Hayman in at home on a groundout to tie. The Moo would strand Fuchino at third.
The Zap half of the sixth would be Oahe’s biggest inning. Three runs on four hits and an error would let the Zap retake the lead. It was a short-lived lead for the Moo as the Zap would retake the lead, 6-3, at the end of the sixth.
It was a scoreless seventh out of the Moo. Vincent’s start would come to a close as he would give way to Brandt Phillips (USC-Bluffton) in the bottom of the inning. Ty Farwell for Oahe would drive a fly ball over the right field wall for a two-run home run. Farwell’s fourth home run of the season would make it 8-3 Zap as Brandt Phillips would work out of the frame.
The straw that broke the Moo’s back would come in the eighth. Phillips would give the eighth to Cooper Lucas (East Texas Baptist). After a walk and a single, Zap pinch hitter Jared Pugrad would plate a run with an RBI double. Ty Farwell would dig in with the bases loaded, and Lucas would plunk him to bring another run into score, making it 10-3 for the Zap. The eighth would with that score as Lucas worked out of the bases-loaded conundrum.
The Moo would go down in the order in the ninth as the Zap secure their thirtieth win of the second half.
Zach Vincent is handed the loss while Jake Fuller gets the win.
The Moo scored three (3) runs on seven (7) hits, while committing two (2) errors. The Zap scored ten (10) runs on twelve (12) hits with two (2) errors.
Fremont moves to a 20-22 record overall and a 10-9 second-half record. The Zap moved to a 23-21 overall record and a 13-5 second-half record.
The Moo are back tomorrow night in Hastings at historic Duncan Field, beginning a two-game series against the Sodbusters with first pitch at 6:35.
This is the Daily Moo! Getting Moo fans ready for every single game day with storylines, insight, stats, and more about the Fremont Moo. Check in every day for the Daily Moo here on the Fremont Moo official website. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overview - Game 42 Hyde Stadium, Pierre, South Dakota, USA FREMONT MOO (20-21 / 10-8) vs. OAHE ZAP (22-21 / 12-5) First Pitch: 6:05 CT Radio: Big Dog Country 98.9 FM / 1340 AM Audio Stream: Moo Mixlr Video Stream: Oahe Zap on YouTube -Game Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STORYLINES Not Fun The Moo are now 0-4 against the Zap this season after last night's 4-2 loss. The Moo have been outscored 7 runs to 34 runs in the three games played so far. Bumpy Road to Ride The Moo have lost their last four road games. The Moo have a 5-10 record on the road, where they have been outscored 82 to 103 in those contests. One player who has excelled on the road is Cooper Fuchino (Creighton). Fuchino is batting .452 with an OBP of .500 this season on the road. Down to the Wire The ILB season is coming to a close with the Moo in last place in the table, two games back of first. Here is a list of ILB teams and their upcoming schedule to end the season, starting on tomorrow’s date: MOO 5th - (10-8) 2.5 GB At Sodbusters At Sodbusters V. Prospects V. Zap V. Zap V. Prospects V. Prospects SASQUATCH 3rd - (9-5) 1.5 GB V. Zap V. Zap V. Bison V. Spuds V. Spuds At Spuds At Spuds At Spuds SODBUSTERS 4th - (8-5) 2.0 GB V. Moo V. Moo V. Prospects V. Prospects V. Prospects At Zap At Zap SPUDS 2nd - (11-6) 1.0 GB V. Bison V. Bison At Sasquatch At Sasquatch V. Sasquatch V. Sasquatch V. Sasquatch ZAP 1st - (12-5) At Sasquatch At Sasquatch At Moo At Moo V. Sodbusters V. Sodbusters The Second Half Explained The Spearfish Sasquatch punched their ticket to the 2025 ILB Championship Series by clinching the first-half pennant. The second half began on June 28th. This means that the records effectively return to 0-0. The winner of the second half will face the Sasquatch in the ILBCS. If the Sasquatch wins the second half, then the team with the second-best overall record will clinch the second spot in the championship series. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Errors bite the Moo as Oahe Zap takes the series, 4-2. Game two of the series fell on Thursday night in Pierre, with the Moo in need of a win. To this point, the Moo were 0-3 against the Zap, who were in the midst of their best season in club history. The Moo looked to change their luck on the road with a win against the Zap and even the series. Aiden McGrath (Skyline) made his fifth start of the season, and he was up against AJ Ponciano for the Zap. Both Ponciano and McGrath would pitch scoreless first innings, but the Moo managed a run in the second on a fielder’s choice to score Brayden Jones (Doane). McGrath would keep the Zap powerless in the bottom of the inning, winning the inning at the end of two. The Moo and the Zap would go scoreless in the third. Defense highlighted the inning with the Zap turning a six-four-three double play and a Rocco Geritano (SUSCC) diving catch in center. The Moo would add a run in the fourth. Joshua Hardamon (Midland) would lead off with a triple and score on a Grant Ryan (Northwest CC) fielder's choice. The Zap would get two outs, but the Moo would get the run. McGrath would shut out the Zap in the bottom of the fourth as the Moo led 2-0. The Moo had an opportunity stolen in the top of the fifth when, with Geritano standing on third with one out, a line drive off the bat from Cooper Fuchino (Creighton) would be caught in right by Nick Golden. Geritano would tag up, but a laser from Golden would catch Geritano at the plate, ending the inning and keeping a run off the board. The Zap would strike for their first run in the fifth against McGrath. McGrath would be his own worst enemy, as both runs would score from his right arm. A wild throw into center on a double play attempt would plate the first, and a wild pitch would score the second to tie the game at two as the fifth came to a close. The Zap and the Moo would go scoreless until the bottom of the seventh. A defensive error would chase McGrath out of the game with a Zap runner making it to second base. Eli Larson (Sioux Falls) would come in as the runner from second and would advance to third. After a strikeout of Andrew Phillips, Jared Pugrad would sacrifice himself to bring home the go-ahead run. Then, Larson would give up a walk and a hit by pitch. A double steal would see a wild throw from Fuchino trying to get the lead runner at third sail into left to plate another run. The scoreboard read 4-2 in favor of the Zap, going to the eighth. The Moo and the Zap would go scoreless in the eighth, and the Moo would go quietly in the ninth, giving the Zap the win 4-2. Aiden McGrath would get the loss while Brady Glenn would get the win. The Moo scored two (2) runs on five (5) hits, while committing three (3) errors. The Zap scored four (4) runs on seven (7) hits on two (2) errors. Fremont moves to a 20-21 record overall and a 10-8 second-half record. The Zap moved to a 22-21 overall record and a 12-5 second-half record. The Moo are back tomorrow night in Pierre against the Oahe Zap, which begins at 6:05 from Hyde Stadium.
This is the Daily Moo! Getting Moo fans ready for every single game day with storylines, insight, stats, and more about the Fremont Moo. Check in every day for the Daily Moo here on the Fremont Moo official website. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overview - Game 41 Hyde Stadium, Pierre, South Dakota, USA FREMONT MOO (20-20 / 10-7) vs. OAHE ZAP (21-21 / 11-5) First Pitch: 6:05 CT Radio: Big Dog Country 98.9 FM / 1340 AM Audio Stream: Moo Mixlr Video Stream: Oahe Zap on YouTube -Game Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STORYLINES Oh Dear in Pierre The Moo began their road trip with a 6-2 loss against the Oahe Zap. Despite the Moo outhitting the Zap (10 to 7), Oahe hit two two-run home runs off of Wes Cunningham to help propel the Zap to the win. Uh O-ahe The Moo are 0-3 against the Zap this season, being outscored 5 runs to 30 runs in the three games played so far. The Moo are 11-13 all-time in Pierre when facing the Pierre-based summer ball teams. Home Field Advantage The Zap is 18-10 at Hyde Stadium this season. Against league opponents that are eligible for the ILB Postseason, the Zap are 10-9. In total, the league home records versus ILB postseason eligible teams (excluding Bison, Plainsmen, and Prospects) look like this: Team: Overall Home Record / Home Record Versus Playoff Eligible Teams Moo: 15-11 / 1-7 Sasquatch: 21-6 / 10-5 Sodbusters: 16-7 / 10-3 Spuds: 16-7 / 11-6 Zap: 18-10 / 10-9 The Second Half Explained The Spearfish Sasquatch punched their ticket to the 2025 ILB Championship Series by clinching the first-half pennant. The second half began on June 28th. This means that the records effectively return to 0-0. The winner of the second half will face the Sasquatch in the ILBCS. If the Sasquatch wins the second half, then the team with the second-best overall record will clinch the second spot in the championship series. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A pair of home runs is the Moo’s undoing in this one as the Zap win the series opener, 6-2. The overview of the trip heading up to Pierre was that this road trip could be the make-or-break trip of the 2025 season. The Oahe Zap entered tied for first, leading the Moo by half a game in the standings. It looked like an exciting start to the road trip. The Moo and the Zap would go scoreless through the first two and a half innings in this one. Wes Cunningham (Southern Arkansas) would run into some trouble in the bottom of the third, however. Tanner Jacobson (Cloud County) would throw out a potential run at home with a strike to keep it at 0-0. But the Zap would strike for a run on a passed ball, as Emiliano Curriel would score to make it 1-0 Oahe. The Zap would live up to their nickname in the fourth and fifth, swinging powerful bats and striking Cunningham with a couple of home runs. The culprit in the fourth would be Quinn Ludvigson with a two-run home run, making it 3-0. His accomplice would strike in the fifth. Vince Pollizi would strike with a two-run homer of his own. The Zap continued to score in the inning as an error from Grant Ryan (Northwest CC) would score Ty Farwell from third to make it 6-0 Zap. The Moo would avoid the shutout and strike for a run in the top of the eighth. Joshua Hardamon (Midland) would collect his team-leading, thirty-seventh RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to score Cooper Fuchino (Creighton), earning Fremont’s first run of the game. Cunningham would work into the seventh. Throwing one hundred and five pitches and struck out four batters. Opposite to him, Estevan Baca would work through all nine innings, allowing two runs, ten hits, and a walk while striking out three. The Moo would pick up a run in the ninth, after Brayden Jones (Doane) would hit a pinch-hit double, Jacobson would strike a ball into left to bring home Jones to make it 6-2. The Moo scored two (2) runs on ten (10) hits, while committing one (1) error. The Zap scored six (6) runs on seven (7) hits on one (1) error. Estevan Baca would collect the win for the Zap while Wes Cunningham would be handed his first loss of the 2025 season. Fremont moves to a 20-20 record overall and a 10-7 second-half record. The Zap moved to a 21-21 overall record and an 11-5 second-half record. The Moo are back tomorrow night in Pierre against the Oahe Zap, which begins at 6:05 from Hyde Stadium.
This is the Daily Moo! Getting Moo fans ready for every single game day with storylines, insight, stats, and more about the Fremont Moo. Check in every day for the Daily Moo here on the Fremont Moo official website. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overview - Game 40 Hyde Stadium, Pierre, South Dakota, USA FREMONT MOO (20-19 / 10-6) vs. OAHE ZAP (20-21 / 10-5) First Pitch: 6:05 CT Radio: Big Dog Country 98.9 FM / 1340 AM Audio Stream: Moo Mixlr Video Stream: Oahe Zap on YouTube -Game Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STORYLINES Wrapping Up the Homestand The Moo secured their tenth win of the second half with a 10-6 victory over the Bison Baseball Club last night. The Moo finished 7-3 during the ten game homestand and ended on a five game win streak. It’s Been A While With yesterday’s win, the Moo moved back into a winning record at 20-19 overall. THe win moves the Moo over .500 for the first time since May. Coincidentally, the day after the Moo first had a winning record, they had to take on the Oahe Zap/ Bolt of Energy The Oahe Zap ended the first half with the worst record in the ILB with a 10-16 record. Since June 27th, the Zap have gone 10-5 and went on a five game win streak to start their second half. The Zap are undefeated against the Moo in two games, outsourcing the Moo 24-3 in those two games. The Second Half Explained The Spearfish Sasquatch punched their ticket to the 2025 ILB Championship Series by clinching the first-half pennant. The second half began on June 28th. This means that the records effectively return to 0-0. The winner of the second half will face the Sasquatch in the ILBCS. If the Sasquatch wins the second half, then the team with the second-best overall record will clinch the second spot in the championship series. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Moo picked up their fifth consecutive win with a 10-5 victory over the Bison Baseball Club on Tuesday night at Moller Field. The final game of the ten-game homestand also marked the end of the four-game series against the Bison. The Moo aimed to sweep the Bison to reach their twentieth win of the season and secure a winning record for the first time since May. The Moo began their scoring in the first inning. After a clean top of the first from Moo starter Logan Anderson (Sioux Falls), the Moo managed to score a run from Joshua Hardamon (Midland). Hardamon stepped into the box with 2024 Moo returner Carter Sintek (Houston) on second base. Hardamon hit a sharply grounded ball to third baseman Remmy Hart, who could not field it cleanly and threw the ball wide of first baseman Curtis Lindsey. The wild throw allowed Sintek to score, giving the Moo a one-run lead. Cooper Fuchino (Creighton), following Sintek, was caught trying to score on a strike from Lindsey from the foul ground behind first base, ending the inning. The Moo’s next scoring opportunity came in the third inning. Fuchino reached first on a two-out walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Hardamon then hit a line drive into left field to move Fuchino to third. Another passed ball allowed Fuchino to score the second Moo run of the game. In the fourth inning, the Moo scored their third run. Tyler Wise (Kansas Wesleyan) tagged up from a Sintek pop fly, advancing from second to third. Caiden Brezinski (Butler), behind him, tried to tag up from first but got caught in a rundown between first and second. During the play, Wise scrambled home and scored, while Brezinski was tagged out shortly after, ending the inning. The Moo led 3-0. In the top of the fifth, Curtis Lindsey hit the Bison's first hit of the game—a two-run homer over the Moller Monster—cutting the lead to one. The Bison responded again in the sixth. Nate Moquin (Nebraska-Omaha) made his Moo debut, but the Bison jumped on him early with four hits in the inning, leading to three runs and giving them a two-run lead. The Moo’s sixth inning was not empty. Brayden Jones (Doane) led off with a double and scored two batters later on a double play, reducing the Bison’s lead to one. At the end of the sixth, the scoreboard showed 5-4 in favor of the Bison. After the seventh-inning stretch, the crowd’s energy boosted the Moo offense in the bottom of the inning. Seve Aguirre (SE Oklahoma State) led off with a walk. Following a flyout from Fuchino, Tyman Long (North Dakota State) was hit by a pitch to move Aguirre to second. Consecutive singles from Hardamon and Jones brought home two runs, tying the game and giving the Moo the lead. Hardamon then advanced to third and scored on a passed ball. The Moo led 7-5 and were six outs away from sweeping. Nate Moquin shut down the Bison in the eighth, throwing a scoreless inning, and the Moo added three insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. Brezinski drew a walk and scored on an error, Joshua Hardamon drove in two more runs with a hard-hit single into left field. After the eighth, the scoreboard read Moo 10, Bison 5, as the team prepared for the ninth. Tyler Dunham (Midland) faced some trouble in the ninth as a run scored on an error, but he managed to get the final three outs, securing the sweep of the Bison, their fifth straight win, and their twentieth win of the season. The Moo scored ten runs on nine hits and made two errors. The Bison scored six runs on six hits and committed four errors. Nate Moquin earned his first win of the season, while Remmy Hart took the loss. Fremont improves to a 20-19 record overall and 10-6 in the second half. The Bison fall to 0-12 overall. The Moo hit the road again tomorrow night for a five-game trip. The first game of a three-game series against the Oahe Zap starts at 6:05 from Hyde Stadium.
This is the Daily Moo! Getting Moo fans ready for every single game day with storylines, insight, stats, and more about the Fremont Moo. Check in every day for the Daily Moo here on the Fremont Moo official website. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overview - Game 39 Moller Field, Fremont, Nebraska, USA FREMONT MOO (19-19 / 9-6) vs. BISON BASEBALL CLUB (0-11) First Pitch: 7:05 CT Radio: Big Dog Country 98.9 FM / 1340 AM Audio Stream: Moo Mixlr Video Stream: BSDN Live on YouTube -Game Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STORYLINES Four-In-A-Row The Moo picked up their fourth straight victory with a win over the Bison 10-0 in seven innings. A six-run second inning highlighted the game, Tyman Long (North Dakota State) going four-for-four with three RBIs, and Brooks Kneifl (Wayne State) throwing a complete game shutout with ten strikeouts. Back to .500 With yesterday’s win, the Moo are back to an even .500 overall record. The last time the Moo was .500 was back on May 31st, when they were 3-3. Wrapping up the Homestand The Moo started the homestand on July 5th, and have gone 6-3 against the Bison, Prospects, Sodbusters, and Spuds. The have held their opponents to a total of 62 runs while scoring 65 offensively. The Moo look for their seventh win tonight and fifth win-in-a-row. The Second Half Explained The Spearfish Sasquatch punched their ticket to the 2025 ILB Championship Series by clinching the first-half pennant. The second half began on June 28th. This means that the records effectively return to 0-0. The winner of the second half will face the Sasquatch in the ILBCS. If the Sasquatch wins the second half, then the team with the second-best overall record will clinch the second spot in the championship series. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South Dakota State Jackrabbit pitcher, Dylan Driessen got the call that every baseball player dreams of: being selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft. With the 540th pick of the MLB Draft, Driessen was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals. He is among eleven other pitchers selected by St. Louis, the most notable being the fifth pick of the draft, a pitcher from Tennessee, Liam Doyle. Driessen is a 6'3, 220 pound right-handed pitcher who spent the 2024 ILB season with the Fremont Moo. Driessen went 2-1 in four starts for the Moo and made six total appearances. Driessen dominated opponents, allowing only eleven hits all summer, and striking out 47 batters. Despite making only four starts, Driessen finished third on the Moo pitching staff with those 47 strikeouts and had a K/BF of 42%. Everyone apart of the Fremont Moo organization congratulates Driessen for this accomplishment and wishes him the best of luck going forward in his professional career.
Moo won their fourth in a row thanks to Tyman Long’s four-for-four night and Brooks Kneifl’s outstanding game on the mound in a 10-0 over the Bison. Fremont entered game three of this series looking for their fourth straight win against the Bison. The Moo blew out the Bison 13-0 in game one of the series. Game two was a 5-4 finish that came down to the last batter, with the Moo slamming the door shut with the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second. Would game three have the action from the games prior? After Brooks Kneifl (Wayne State) opened the contest with a scoreless first inning, the bats would boom right away. Tyman Long (North Dakota State) would drive home Rocco Geritano (SUSCC) for the first Moo run of the game. A few batters later and with the bases loaded, Bode Joyner (Redwood) would get hit by a pitch that would bring home the second run of the game. At the end of the inning, the Moo would be up, 2-0. Kneifl would work a clean second inning, allowing the Moo to return to the plate and really jump on the Bison starter, Brian Atkinson. Six runs would score on seven hits for the Moo in the inning. All but two batters would record a hit in the inning, and every hit was a single against Atkinson. The Moo led 8-0 after the inning concluded. Kneifl would fashion another quick inning, and the Moo would fashion another run. Tyman Long again, this time with an RBI double to pull another run home to score the ninth run of the contest. Both teams would go scoreless in the fourth, and the Bison would get shut out in the top of the fifth. The Moo would bring a tenth run across in the bottom of the frame with Nate Wachter (South Dakota State) driving in Long to make it 10-0 Moo. That score would hold as Brooks Kneifl would continue his dominance on the mound. Kneifl would strike out ten batters in total —with his final K to end it— en route to his first complete game shutout of the season, as the Moo secure the 10-0 win in seven innings to get back to an even 19-19 record. The Moo scored ten (10) runs on fourteen (14) hits and committed one (1) error. The Bison scored no runs on three (3) hits and were perfect defensively. Kneifl’s fantastic start would earn him the win, while Brian Atkinson would get handed the loss. Fremont moves to a 19-19 record overall and a 9-6 second-half record. The Bison move to a 0-11 overall record. The Moo are back tomorrow night in game three of the series against the Bison.
Moo go for their fourth straight win