Spuds Takes Series Lead With Convincing Win Over Fremont
Rich Ray
The Moo dropped game three of the ILB Championship Series to fall behind two games to one. (Photo by Mindy Wittig)
Casper, Wyoming - The Fremont Moo dropped an 18-1 contest to the Casper Spuds in game three of the Independence League Baseball Association Championship Series, Friday night at Mike Lansing Field. With the loss, Fremont is on the brink of elimination as Casper leads the best-of-five series two games to one.
In the top of the first, Casper's Elijah Reeves led off the inning with a walk against Fremont starter Bobby Simmons. A wild pitch moved Reeves to second. Two batters later, Kenny Jackson hit an rbi single, scoring Reeves, to make it 1-0.
The Moo tied the game in the top of the third. With one out, Fremont's Trey Brooks doubled off Casper starter Ty Vollmer. Then, Josh Blount was hit by a pitch. The next batter, Carter Sintek, singled, scoring Brooks, to make it a 1-1 game.
Casper responded and did not look back. In the bottom of the third, Dylan Schlotterback led off with a walk. Two batters later, Chase Burke singled. Then, a wild pitch advanced the runners into scoring position. The next batter, Wesley Flatt, hit a two-rbi single, scoring Schlotterback and Burke, to make it 3-1, Casper.
The Spuds added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Dylan Schlotterback drew a walk. Two batters later, Josh Phillips did the same. Then, Chase Burke singled, scoring Schlotterback, to make it 4-1. Wesley Flatt singled, plating Phillips, to make it 5-1. Then, Chandler Stocking reached on an error, scoring Burke, to put Casper ahead, 6-1.
Casper sent ten batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth. Facing Fremont reliever Lucas Hamzeh, Casper's Parker Burt singled. Then, Elijah Reeves drew a walk. Dylan Schlotterback did the same, to load the bases. The next batter, Kenny Jackson, hit a bases clearing triple, to make it 9-1. Two batters later, Chase Burke reached on a fielder's choice. Then, Wesley Flatt doubled, scoring Burke, to make it 10-1.
In the sixth, The Spuds scored four more runs. Elijah Reeves led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. Dylan Schlotterback reached on a fielder's choice, and a Moo error put runners at first and second. Kenny Jackson singled, scoring Reeves. Schlotterback stole third and an errant throw brought him home. Josh Phillips tripled. Then, two batters later, Wesley Flatt hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Phillips, to make it 14-1.
Casper added the final four runs of the night in the bottom of the seventh. Facing reliever Grant Wagner, Casper's Matt Marsic doubled. Then, Parker Burt singled. Elijah Reeves was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Then, Dylan Schlotterback hit a bases clearing triple, to make it 18-1.
In the top of the ninth, Casper starter Ty Vollmer retired The Moo in order to end the game.
Casper (43-10) scored eighteen runs off seventeen hits and committed no errors. Fremont (34-21) scored one run off six hits and had three errors.
Spuds starter Ty Vollmer (7-1) earned the win. He pitched 9.0 innings, giving up one run off six hits, struck out two, walked one and hit one batter.
Fremont starter Bobby Simmons (4-1) took the loss. He pitched 4.0 innings, giving up six runs off eight hits, walked five, had two wild pitches and hit one batter. Lucas Hamzeh pitched 2.0 innings, giving up six earned runs off six hits, struck out one and walked two. Grant Wagner pitched 2.0 innings, giving up four runs off three hits, struck out one, walked one and hit one batter.
Offensively for Casper, Dylan Schlotterback was 1-for-3 with three rbi's. Kenny Jackson was 3-for-6 and drove in five runs. Josh Phillips was 2-for-4. Chase Burke went 2-for-6. Wesley Flatt was 3-for-4 with five rbi's. Matt Marsic was 3-for-3. Parker Burt was 2-for-6.
For Fremont, Carter Sintek was 2-for-4 with an rbi. Isaac Bonner was 2-for-4.
Game four of the ILB Championship Series is Saturday night. Casper leads the best-of-five series two games to one. If Casper wins Saturday, the Spuds will claim the title. If Fremont wins, game five will be played on Sunday.
First pitch of Game Four, Saturday, will be 7 p.m. (MT) / 8 p.m. (CT), at Mike Lansing Field, in Casper. The game will be broadcast on Big Dog Country, 98.9 FM and 1340 AM, KHUB. Live audio will also stream at: www.mixlr.com/fmoo. Rich Ray and Alex Burstein will have the call with coverage beginning at 6:40 p.m. (MT) / 7:40 p.m. (CT). If Fremont forces game five, it will be played Sunday at 6 p.m. (MT) at Mike Lansing Field.
SALINA, Kan. — The Fremont Moo traveled to Salina, Kansas, for a two-game series against the Salina Sliders. The series opened Wednesday night, with the Moo falling 3-2 in 10 innings. The game featured a pitching duel, as both teams remained scoreless through the first five innings. Salina finally broke through in the sixth, scoring one run before adding another in the seventh to take a 2-0 lead. The Moo got on the board in the eighth inning. Ripken Fleck led off with a one-out single, and Wyatt Throckmorton followed with a double to center field to move Fleck to third. Fleck was caught in a rundown between third base and home plate, but an errant throw by the Salina catcher allowed him to score, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Burke Jasa stepped to the plate in the ninth and launched a solo home run, his third consecutive game with a homer, to tie the game at 2-2 and force extra innings. The Sliders capitalized in the 10th inning under the extra-inning rule. The automatic runner placed on second, advanced home on a sacrifice fly, giving Salina the 3-2 walk-off victory. Statistical Standouts Wyatt Throckmorton: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 2B Wyatt Henry: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K Burke Jasa: 2-for-4, HR, RBI The Fremont Moo (5-11) will wrap up the series against the Salina Sliders on Thursday, June 18, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Fremont Moo wrapped up their three-game series against the Grand Island Fightin' Cranes on Sunday evening with a dominant 12-4 road victory. Ripken Fleck led off the first inning after being hit by a pitch. Giovanni Malatesta drew a walk, and Wyatt Throckmorton singled to right field to load the bases. Burke Jasa stepped to the plate and launched a grand slam over the center-field fence to give the Moo an early 4-0 lead. Fleck led off the second inning with a single to center field to keep the momentum rolling. Malatesta reached on an error, and Throckmorton drew a walk. Easton Leahy then singled to load the bases. Jasa drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to 5-0. Later in the inning, Brayden Mitchell reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Throckmorton and Leahy to score and increase the Moo's lead to 8-0. The Fightin' Cranes got on the board in the third inning, scoring one run to cut the deficit to 8-1. After several scoreless innings, Mitchell drew a walk to lead off the seventh. Jacob Coshenet reached on an error, allowing Jasa to score. O'Gorman then reached on a fielder's choice as Mitchell crossed the plate, extending the lead to 10-1. Grand Island responded with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to trim the deficit to 10-4. The Moo offense continued to produce in the eighth inning. Malatesta crushed the first pitch he saw over the center-field fence for a solo home run. Back-to-back singles by Throckmorton and Leahy put two runners aboard. Coshenet later reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Throckmorton to score and push the lead to 12-4. The Moo held the Fightin' Cranes scoreless in the ninth inning to secure the 12-4 victory. Statistical Standouts Giovanni Malatesta: 2-for-3, RBI, 3 R, HR Wyatt Throckmorton: 2-for-3, 3 R, BB Burke Jasa: 2-for-4, 5 RBI, 2 R, BB Tukker Horner: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 4 K
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — The Fremont Moo continued their three-game series against the Grand Island Fightin’ Cranes on Sunday afternoon. After falling behind early, the Moo mounted a late rally in the ninth inning, highlighted by a grand slam, but came up short in a 7-4 loss. Grand Island took control early with a five-run third inning to build a 5-0 lead. The Fightin’ Cranes added insurance runs in the sixth and eighth innings to extend their advantage to 7-0. The Moo sparked some life in the ninth inning as Conner Thompson reached on an error to lead off the frame. After a one-out single by Giovanni Malatesta moved Thompson to second, Wyatt Throckmorton singled to right field to load the bases. Burke Jasa stepped to the plate and launched a grand slam to right field, cutting the deficit to 7-4. Tyler Schroeder followed with a walk, and back-to-back singles by Eamon O’Gorman and Dominic Palma loaded the bases once again with two outs. However, Grand Island recorded the final out to halt the Moo's comeback attempt. Statistical Standout Burke Jasa: 2-for-4, HR, 4 RBIs The Fremont Moo (4-10) will conclude the series against the Grand Island Fightin’ Cranes on Monday, June 15. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — The Fremont Moo had a quick turnaround after playing in Sedalia on Friday night, traveling to Grand Island to face the Fightin' Cranes on Saturday. The Moo battled back from an early deficit, but their comeback effort fell short in a 13-12 loss. Ripken Fleck started the game with a leadoff double, while Giovanni Malatesta and Easton Leahy were both hit by pitches to load the bases. Jacob Coshenet drew a walk to bring home Fleck and give the Moo a 1-0 lead. Tyler Schroeder followed with a single to right field, scoring Malatesta to make it 2-0 at the end of the first inning. Fleck recorded a one-out single in the second inning, and Malatesta followed with a single of his own. Leahy then singled to score Fleck and extend the lead to 3-0. Grand Island answered in the bottom of the second, cutting the deficit to 3-2. The Fightin' Cranes broke through in the third and fourth innings, scoring seven runs to take a 9-3 lead. The Moo responded in the fifth inning. Wyatt Throckmorton led off with a walk, and Leahy followed with a single to advance Throckmorton to third. Coshenet reached on an error, allowing Throckmorton to score. Brayden Mitchell then singled to left field, bringing home Leahy. Eamon O'Gorman and Dominic Palma drew back-to-back walks to force in runs. Fleck delivered a two-run double, scoring Mitchell and O'Gorman to cut the deficit to 9-8. Malatesta tied the game with an RBI single to right field, making it 9-9. Fleck later stole home to give the Moo a 10-9 lead. Grand Island responded in the bottom of the fifth with a run to tie the game at 10-10. The Fightin' Cranes regained the lead in the sixth inning, scoring three runs to make it 13-10. O'Gorman drew a leadoff walk in the seventh inning, and Fleck followed with a single. Malatesta and Tukker Horner then drew back-to-back walks with the bases loaded, bringing in a run to make it 13-11. Leahy added a sacrifice fly to score Fleck and cut the deficit to 13-12. The Moo continued to battle until the final out, loading the bases in the ninth inning. However, Grand Island was able to escape the jam and hold on for the 13-12 victory. Statistical Standouts: • Ripken Fleck: 5-for-6, 4 R, 2 RBI, 2B • Giovanni Malatesta: 2-for-3, RBI, R, BB • Easton Leahy: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R The Moo (4-9) will continue the three-game series against the Fightin' Cranes with Game 2 scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, June 14, in Grand Island, Nebraska.
SEDALIA, Mo. — Fremont Moo wrapped up its three-game series against the Sedalia Steamers on Friday night in a nine-inning contest. A late comeback attempt fell short as the Moo dropped the finale, 10-5. Sedalia took an early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning and adding another in the second to build a 3-0 advantage. The Moo responded in the third inning. With one out, Ripken Fleck doubled to spark the offense. Jacob Coshenet drew a walk to put two runners aboard. Wyatt Throckmorton then singled down the left-field line, driving in Fleck to cut the deficit to 3-1. A Steamers error later in the inning allowed another run to score, making it a one-run game at 3-2. The Steamers answered over the next three innings, scoring three runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to extend their lead to 9-2. Fremont continued to battle in the eighth inning. Coshenet led off with a double to left field before Throckmorton and Brayden Mitchell drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Eamon O'Gorman lifted a one-out sacrifice fly to score Coshenet and make it 9-3. Dominic Palma followed with a double down the left-field line, bringing home Throckmorton to cut the deficit to 9-4. Sedalia added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning to push the lead back to six at 10-4. Fleck led off the ninth inning with his second double of the game, and Throckmorton was hit by a pitch. Fleck later scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-5. The Moo continued to battle, but the Steamers recorded the final outs to secure the victory. Statistical Standouts Ripken Fleck: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B Wyatt Throckmorton: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, R, BB Jacob Coshenet: 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, 2B Fremont Moo (4-8) will have a quick turnaround as the travel to Grand Island, Nebraska to face the Grand Island Fightin’ Cranes in a three-game series. First game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th.
SEDALIA, Mo. — The Fremont Moo continued their three-game series against the Sedalia Steamers on Thursday night, falling 7-3 in a nine-inning contest. Sedalia struck first in the second inning, scoring four runs to take an early 4-0 lead. The Moo got on the board in the fifth. Dominic Palma drew a leadoff walk, and Conner Thompson followed with a double to center field. Ripken Fleck reached on an error, advancing Thompson to third. Giovanni Malatesta then singled to left field, driving in Thompson to cut the deficit to 4-1. The Steamers added three insurance runs in the sixth inning to extend their lead to 7-1. Fleck led off the seventh with a single, and Malatesta reached on a fielder's choice. Liam Sullivan drew a walk to put two runners aboard before Tyler Schroeder singled to left field, scoring Malatesta and Sullivan to trim the deficit to 7-3. The Steamers halted the Moo's comeback attempt, holding Fremont scoreless over the final innings to secure the 7-3 victory. Fremont Moo (4-7) will wrap up the three-game series against the Sedalia Steamers on Friday. First pitch for the nine-inning finale is scheduled for 7 p.m.
SEDALIA, Mo. — The Fremont Moo traveled to Sedalia, Missouri, for a three-game series against the Sedalia Steamers. The Moo opened the series Wednesday night, falling 10-0 in seven innings. The Moo recorded their first hit of the game in the third inning when Dominic Palma singled to center field. Palma collected his second hit of the night in the seventh inning with a single to left-center field. Giovanni Malatesta added Fremont's third hit of the game later in the seventh with a single to right field. The Steamers kept the Moo off the scoreboard throughout the game, handing Fremont a 10-0 shutout loss in the series opener. Statistical Standout: Dominic Palma: 2-for-3 The Fremont Moo (4-6) will continue the series against the Sedalia Steamers on Thursday, June 11. First pitch for the scheduled nine-inning game is set for 7 p.m.
FREMONT, Neb. — The Fremont Moo wrapped up their three-game series against the Hastings Sodbusters on Sunday evening with a nine-inning contest. The Moo's offense erupted for 15 runs as Fremont earned a 15-11 victory to claim the series, 2-1. Hastings got on the board first in the top of the first inning with a single, a stolen base, and a Moo error to take an early 1-0 lead. Brayden Mitchell and Eamon O'Gorman drew walks to lead off the second inning, and Tukker Horner followed with a single to score Mitchell and tie the game at 1-1. Ripken Fleck ripped a double down the left-field line to score O'Gorman and give the Moo a 2-1 advantage. Giovanni Malatesta followed with a single up the middle to bring home Fleck and extend the lead to 3-1. The Sodbusters answered by stringing together several hits and sacrifice flies to knot the game at 3-3. Tyler Schroeder started the third inning with a one-out single, and Mitchell followed with a base hit to left field. A throwing error allowed Schroeder to advance to third and Mitchell to move into scoring position. Jacob Coshenet lined a double to left field to score Schroeder and put the Moo back in front, 4-3. O'Gorman added a sacrifice groundout to score Mitchell and make it 5-3. Horner then delivered a two-out RBI single to left field, bringing home Coshenet and extending the lead to 6-3. The Sodbusters added a run in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 6-4. Malatesta drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth, and Wyatt Throckmorton was hit by a pitch. Easton Leahy singled to load the bases. A sacrifice fly scored Malatesta to increase the lead to 7-4. Coshenet then blasted a three-run home run over the left-field fence to stretch the Moo advantage to 10-4. Hastings continued to battle back, scoring two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to trim the lead to 10-7. Mitchell and Coshenet opened the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back singles. O'Gorman lined a single into right-center field to score Mitchell and make it 11-7. Fleck reached on an error that allowed Coshenet to score, extending the lead to 12-7. Malatesta followed with a two-run single to left field, bringing home O'Gorman and Fleck to push the lead to 14-7. The Sodbusters continued to chip away, scoring three runs in the seventh inning to cut the deficit to 14-10. Schroeder led off the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle. O'Gorman drew a two-out walk, and Horner reached on an error that allowed Schroeder to score and increase the lead to 15-10. Hastings added a run in the ninth inning, but the Moo shut the door to secure the hard-fought 15-11 victory and series win. Statistical Standouts: Giovanni Malatesta: 3-for-5, 3 RBI, R, BB Brayden Mitchell: 2-for-3, RBI, 3 R, BB Jacob Coshenet: 3-for-5, 4 RBI, 3 R, HR, 2B Eamon O'Gorman: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB Tukker Horner: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, R Fremont Moo (4-5) will have a few days of rest before beginning an 11-game road trip in 12 days. The Moo will travel to Sedalia, Missouri, to face the Sedalia Steamers for the first time this season in a three-game series beginning June 10. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
FREMONT, Neb. — Fremont Moo opened a three-game series against the Hastings Sodbusters on Saturday evening with a doubleheader after Friday night's game was postponed because of the threat of severe weather. The Moo fell 8-3 in Game 1 before rallying for a 7-3 victory in Game 2 to earn a split of the doubleheader. GAME 1: Hastings Sodbusters 8, Fremont Moo 3 Ripken Fleck led off the first inning with a single to left field. Cooper Fuchino and Easton Leahy followed with back-to-back walks to load the bases. Burke Jasa delivered an RBI single to score Fleck and put the Moo on the board first, 1-0. Fuchino later scored on a fielder's choice to extend the lead to 2-0 at the end of the first inning. Hastings responded in the second inning with back-to-back walks, followed by a bunt, sacrifice fly and RBI single to tie the game at 2-2. The Sodbusters took the lead in the third inning with a three-run home run to left field, making it 5-2. Hastings added two more runs in the fourth inning to extend its lead to 7-2. The Sodbusters plated their final run in the fifth inning to make it 8-2. With two outs in the sixth inning, Eamon O'Gorman reached on an error and stole second base. Giovanni Malatesta followed with an RBI single to score O'Gorman and cut the deficit to 8-3. The Sodbusters held off the Moo the rest of the way to secure the 8-3 victory. GAME 2: Fremont Moo 7, Hastings Sodbusters 3 Hastings struck first with a three-run home run in the opening inning to take an early 3-0 lead. Easton Leahy led off the second inning with a double, and Wyatt Throckmorton followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Leahy later scored on a fielder's choice to get the Moo on the board, trailing 3-1. Burke Jasa drew a leadoff walk in the fourth inning. A single by Leahy and a Hastings throwing error advanced Jasa to third and Leahy to second. Jacob Coshenet lifted a sacrifice fly to score Jasa and cut the deficit to 3-2. Throckmorton followed with an RBI single to score Leahy and tie the game at 3-3. Malatesta led off the fifth inning with a single. Jasa reached on a fielder's choice before Leahy stepped to the plate and launched a two-run home run to left field, giving the Moo a 5-3 lead. With two outs, Throckmorton reached on a Hastings error. Liam Sullivan lined a single to left field to move Throckmorton to third. O'Gorman followed with an RBI single to score Throckmorton and make it 6-3. Another Hastings throwing error allowed Sullivan to score, extending the lead to 7-3. The Moo pitching staff held the Sodbusters scoreless the rest of the way to secure the 7-3 victory and earn a split of the doubleheader. Statistical Standouts Easton Leahy: 3-for-3, 2 RBI, 3 R, HR, 2B Wyatt Throckmorton: 2-for-3, RBI, R Liam Sullivan: 2-for-3, RBI, R Fremont Moo (3-5) will host the Hastings Sodbusters (2-5) in the series finale Sunday, June 7. First pitch for the nine-inning contest is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. at Moller Field.
SALINA, Kan. — Fremont Moo wrapped up its first road trip in Salina, Kansas, on Thursday night with a 13-10 comeback victory, earning its first road win of the season. After a scoreless first inning, Brayden Mitchell was hit by a pitch to lead off the second. Jacob Cochenet reached on an error, and Mitchell advanced to third on the same throwing error to put runners on the corners. Eamon O'Gorman singled to right field to score Mitchell as the Moo got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead. The Salina Sliders responded in the bottom of the second with six runs, including a three-run homer, to take a 6-1 lead. Giovanni Malatesta was hit by a pitch to open the third, and Cooper Fuchino reached on a fielder's choice. Easton Leahy brought Fuchino home with a single to right field to make it 6-2. Cochenet drew a walk in the fourth, and O'Gorman was hit by a pitch. Tukker Horner then drew a walk to load the bases. A single to center field by Ripken Fleck scored Cochenet and O'Gorman. Malatesta followed with a single to center field that scored Horner and cut the deficit to 6-5. The Sliders extended their lead to 9-5 in the fifth. Horner got the Moo started in the sixth with a leadoff walk. Fleck and Malatesta followed with walks to load the bases. Fuchino then drew a walk to score Horner and make it 9-6. Fleck later came home, and Mitchell and Cochenet drew walks to once again load the bases. O'Gorman was hit by a pitch, bringing in another run to cut the deficit to 9-8. Horner reached on an error in the seventh, and Fuchino crushed a two-run homer to left field to give the Moo a 10-9 lead. Salina answered in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 10-10. Mitchell, O'Gorman and Horner each drew walks to open the eighth. Fleck singled to right field to score Mitchell and O'Gorman, giving the Moo a 12-10 advantage. Malatesta followed with an RBI single to score Horner and extend the lead to 13-10. Burke Jasa shut down the Sliders over the final three innings to earn the win for Fremont. Jasa tossed 3.0 innings, allowing one hit and one run while striking out three. Statistical Standouts Ripken Fleck: 2-for-5, 4 RBI, BB, R Giovanni Malatesta: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R Cooper Fuchino: 1-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 R, HR, BB Jacob Cochenet: 1-for-4, R, 2B Eamon O'Gorman: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 R Fremont Moo (2-4) returns home to host the Hastings Sodbusters for a three-game series. The opener is scheduled for Friday, June 6, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. at Moller Field.