The Spearfish Sasquatch used an early offensive surge and a strong performance from Crew Moeller to defeat the Capital City Aviators 10-5 Tuesday night in Spearfish.
Moeller led the Sasquatch at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, double, and single. His solo shot to center field in the third inning highlighted another productive night for the Spearfish offense.
The Sasquatch wasted little time taking control of the game, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Braden Smith opened the scoring with a home run to center field, while Lawson Ward, Moeller, and Benjamin Feuer each drove in runs during the inning to give Spearfish an early advantage.
Spearfish added another run in the second inning when Noah Betanco delivered a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 5-0. Moeller’s solo homer in the third made it 6-0 and helped keep the Aviators on their heels.
Capital City managed to break through in the seventh inning on a solo home run by Brody Oyloe, but the Sasquatch maintained control throughout most of the contest.
Spearfish collected 10 hits and showed patience at the plate, drawing seven walks. Smith and Moeller each finished with multiple hits, while Feuer reached base twice via walks. The Sasquatch also played solid defense, turning two double plays.
On the mound, Sam Kwapnioski earned the victory, striking out two batters in a scoreless inning of relief. Starter Josh Kearney set the tone early, allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out three over two innings. Relievers Colter Wilson, Matthew Martinez, Bo Iandoli, and Caleb Hoppe also contributed to the pitching effort.
Joshua Wynette took the loss for Capital City after allowing six runs on eight hits over three innings.
For the Aviators, Ryan Deveraux led the team with two hits, while Sam Fassbender drove in three runs. Cahill added two stolen bases.
With the win, the Sasquatch is 2-0 in the home series and will look to keep the momentum going when they host the Aviators again on Wednesday in Spearfish.
