By: Ari Wohl

The Casper Spuds (4-0) swept the Spearfish Sasquatch (0-4) to open the 2024 season with a 10-9 win in the series finale. The Sasquatch did not hold a lead at any point during the series and a seventh and ninth-inning rally wasn’t enough to get the win on Sunday.

Trailing 10-2, the top of the Sasquatch lineup came to the plate to begin the seventh inning. Ryan Bachman walked, and Kyle Phin doubled to put a pair in scoring position. Patrick Rakes then brought Bachman home with an RBI single. After a popout, Jordan Boman singled to bring home Phin and make it 10-4. Ben Tate then grounded into a fielder’s choice to bring home Rakes and cut into the Spuds' deficit and make it 10-5.

A walk to Ben Green brought up Chance Greene with runners on the corners and two outs in the top of the seventh. A wild pitch brought home Tate from third and Chance Greene worked a walk, making it a 10-6 game and putting runners on the corners with two outs again, this time for Dylan Darnall, the ninth Sasquatch batter to come to the plate in the frame. Darnall was hit by a pitch to load the bases and brought Ryan Bachman, the tying run, to the plate.

Bachman struck out swinging to leave the bases loaded. After the game, head coach Justus Scott talked about the team’s fight in the later innings.

“Tremendous fight. And if you see that early in a team, doesn’t matter if it’s a shortened season, or spring season, or summer ball, it is certainly a great identity to have as a team. And we have it right now,” Scott said.

In the ninth, the Sasquatch started the inning with back-to-back base hits from Tate and Green, putting runners on second and third. Greene was then hit by a pitch, loading the bases with nobody out and bringing the tying run to the plate.

Braden Gostisha was called upon to pinch hit in the big spot and drew a walk, making it 10-7 and keeping the bases loaded with nobody out for the top of the order and Ryan Bachman.

Bachman grounded into a double play on a ball up the middle, bringing home Ben Green to make it 10-8 and leaving Chance Greene at third with two outs. Kyle Phin then singled into left, making it a 10-9 game. Patrick Rakes picked up his fourth hit of the game putting runners on the corners with two outs and bringing Javier Marcial to the plate.

Marcial lifted a ball high and deep into left-center, but it wasn’t enough, flying out to end the game. The Sasquatch left 13 runners on base on Sunday, including the bases loaded twice, and over the four-game set, they left 42 runners stranded.

“It’s simply just getting the big hit with two outs… A lot of these guys haven’t had a lot of at bats in the spring and that comes in time. I’m not really worried about that,” Scott said.

A big story in the four-game series was the starting pitching from the Casper Spuds. Their four starters combined for 22 innings pitched and allowed just 7 runs while striking out 25 Sasquatch batters.

Sasquatch pitchers, on the other hand, allowed just three walks in the series finale, an encouraging sign after Spearfish pitchers struggled with command, walking 22 Spuds, in the first three games.

“We have to limit the free passes, control the running game, and play better defense,” Scott said.

The Sasquatch will head back to South Dakota for an exhibition game against Legion Post 164 on Monday, May 27 with first pitch at 6:05 p.m. from Black Hills Energy Stadium.

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