The Zap have not fared well on road trips to Casper in years past. The Spuds have always had the Zap’s number; in fact, head coach Jamy Haberger couldn’t remember a time when they had gone to Casper and taken a series victory home. However, Haberger’s team this year feels a little more in-tune, and they proved it when they went to Casper earlier this year and not only won the series, they took three out of four. Something Haberger was certain had not been accomplished by the organization. Though that was regular season, this best-of-three series is when it really counts.
Back in late June when that turning point series took place, the Zap got throttled by the Spuds in game one. A 20-9 mercy rule would snap a four-game Zap winning streak. It was a drubbing to say the least. Though in that final seventh inning, the Zap found a rhythm offensively when they were able to put up five runs. No, it didn’t win them the game or even vacate the mercy rule, but something clicked. Oahe would go on to win the following three games in Casper followed by a stretch in which they won 11 of 13 games. Haberger felt like his team turned a corner then, which brings us back to Monday night.
Casper, again, put themselves out in front with solo runs in the first, second and third inning to take a 3-0 lead. But a fourth inning rally put together off of steady singles by Gavin Fraser, Blake Imhoff and Manny Ealey would tie the game up at three apiece.
The game would stay tied until the seventh when Casper’s Gage Dickerson would hit a gut-punch of a homerun to give the Spuds a 4-3 lead, a lead that the Zap have been unable to overcome in past seasons. But as we mentioned, this Zap team has been pesky lately.
The Zap would use an error to score Ty Farwell after another useful swing by Connor Goldberg came up productive. Quinn Ludvigsen, who has slowly but surely been climbing out of an early offensive hole came through with his biggest swing of the season when he drove in Goldberg with an RBI single. Ludvigsen would add a huge insurance run after a few walks moved him to third and he was able to score on a passed ball.
Brady Glenn earned the save for the Zap with 2.1 gorgeous innings of work. The reliver/starter who had his number retired earlier this week continues to come up big for his beloved Zap.
Goldberg continued to annihilate opposing pitching going 3-5 on the night and bumping his average up to an astounding .405 on the season as the Zap secured a massive 6-4 win to start the series.
The Zap are now one win away from punching their ticket to a rematch with the Spearfish Sasquatch in the Championship Series next week. Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:30 PM CT.
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