Zabel attended Baker University, in Baldwin City, Kansas, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1916 in chemistry.

He came into the game in relief for Bert Humphries with two outs in the first inning, and pitched the final 18+1⁄3 innings to earn the win over the Brooklyn Robins (now the Los Angeles Dodgers) and opposing pitcher Jeff Pfeffer, who pitched the complete game.

He then played two years in the minors in Los Angeles and Toronto before retiring from baseball in July 1917.

Afterwards, he went to work for Fairbanks Morse in Beloit, Wisconsin, where he eventually rose to the position of chief metallurgist.

In the game he was accused of many bad calls by George Calhoun, Green Bay's manager.