The hardest hit on the Clipper girls on Thursday when they traveled to Welcome to play Martin County West was on the ride down, when, a few miles north of Mankato, the bus and a turkey met head on.
Harley Connor witnessed the confrontation from her seat near the back of the vehicle.
“All of a sudden, the bus driver slammed on the brakes, and our bodies went forward and backwards, and we heard a ‘BOOM,’ and all I saw were bird feathers. And I looked behind and I saw this turkey walking across the road, and the windshield was all cracked.”
Taking a detour, the Clippers switched buses in Madelia and were about 45 minutes late to their destination.
But while the bus and the large bird didn’t fare so well, the misadventure didn’t set the Clippers back any as they downed the Mavericks 2-1 in eight innings.
With a 2-1 record in the Valley, they are keeping a tight hold on second place behind LCWM.
“That’s our goal, to try to finish in second place in the conference,” said head coach Mike Barten. “So far so good.”
The Clippers scored their first run in the third when Kiera Schipper got on board on an infield error and scored on a Sophie Shouler double.
The Mavericks tied the game 1-1 when they led off the seventh with a single and scored on an infield error to put the contest into extra innings.
But senior top-of-the-order Shouler singled in the eighth, advanced on a Laci Hollerich base hit and scored on an error.
The Mavericks had one more shot at a comeback, but starting pitcher Hailey Plonsky and the defense behind her hung on for the win.
Throwing mostly strikes, Plonsky had the Mavericks mostly popping up or beating the ball into the dirt. She struck out two and allowed six hits but no walks.
The Clippers were solid behind her, only committing two errors in two separate innings, both charged to the infield.
“Hailey was phenomenal,” Barten said. “She kept the ball down, and we played really good defensive softball.”
Leading the offensive effort, Shouler went three for four at the dish with a single, a double and a triple.
The Clippers struck out five times and had six hits. Hollerich and Greta Hahn each had a single. Kaylee Karels had a double.
The Clippers were back in action at a tournament in Caswell Park on Saturday where they lost big to Blooming Prairie, avenged a season-ending loss last year by beating Madelia and then fell hard to double A powerhouse Central (Norwood).
“We talked to the girls about picking each other up,” Barten said. “We were flat. Three games make for a long day, but good teams learn how to compete when you’re tired, and I think we’ve learned a little bit, but we’ve got a ways to go. I think we had some good swings.”
The day started out with a 14-2 loss to Blooming Prairie.
“Out of the Gopher Conference, they play against good competition and have been a traditional power for a long time and won state not so long ago,” Barten said. “The scoreboard didn’t lie. They had a number of girls who could hit and good pitching.”
The Blossoms strung together five singles in the first for three runs and never looked back. They broke the game open for nine runs in the third and scored twice more in the fourth.
The Clippers managed to post a pair of runs in the fifth. Both in as pinch hitters with one out, Delaney Thompson and Lexy Waldron hit back-to-back singles for the Clipper’s first hits. Top-of-the order Shouler followed with a single too, and, up next, Hollerich singled for two RBIs.
But a strikeout stranded Shouler and Hollerich, and the game ended after five innings.
The Clippers kept the ball in play, only striking out twice. They were issued two walks, to Cassandra Connor and Schipper, both in the second.
Starting pitcher Plonsky went two innings before Lilly Lamont came in in relief with no outs in the third. Plonsky gave up a dozen hits, walked one and struck out one. Lamont allowed four hits in three innings and whiffed four.
Lamont was back in the circle when Cleveland beat Madelia 13-9.
The Clippers took the pressure off the junior by scoring six runs in the first on four-straight walks to start the frame and then hits by Schipper for one RBI, Waldron for two RBIs and Emma Sweere for another RBI.
Three for four at the plate in her best game ever, Waldron was a double away from the cycle as she followed with a triple in the second and a two-run homer in the third, her first ever blast over the fence.
“It was right down the middle,” said the senior. “I didn’t think it would be a home run.”
“Lexy is a good athlete,” Barten said. “I like watch what she does in the batter’s box, and I think she is gaining more confidence. She attacks the ball, so it is fun to watch her. That home run was a no doubter.”
In the second, Hahn led off with a walk and scored on a Cassandra Connor double. Connor scored on stray pitches. Waldron tripled and crossed the plate on a Sweere single.
Leading off again with a walk in the third, Hahn stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on an errant pitch. Cassandra Connor walked, and Waldron brought her home with her hit over the fence.
The Clippers scored their final run in the seventh when Karels singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, purloined third and scored on another escaped pitch.
The Blackhawks scored three runs in the third, again in the sixth and once more in the seventh.
Sweere also went three for four with three singles. Harley Connor, Karels, Hahn and Schipper each had a single. Cassandra Connor had a double.
The Blackhawks had 11 hits and two walks. Lamont struck out four. The Clippers errored twice. Madelia committed zero errors.
In the Clippers’ final game at Caswell, they fell to Central 12-1 in five innings.
“They play a lot of softball in the summer, have really good athletes and are well coached,” Barten said.
The Clippers lone run came in the second when Waldron walked and scored on a fielder’s choice. A Sweere single in the fourth was the Clippers’ only hit. They struck out three times and walked twice. Central committed one error. Cassandra Connor got hit by a pitch twice.
Thompson, and eighth grader, pitched all five innings. She gave up 10 hits and three walks while striking out one. The Clippers errored twice.
The Clipper girls host non-conference Sibley East tonight (Monday).
Above: Coach Mike Barten high fives Lexy Waldron after her two-run homer against Madelia.
Hailey Plonsky throws to first after a Blooming Prairie comebacker.
Harley Connor squeezed this popup behind the plate.
Kaylee Karels sets up to funnel in a grounder to center. Backing her up is Emma Sweere.
This Blooming Prairie hit was just out of reach of right fielder Ava Hahn.
Lilly Lamont twisted a double play when she snared a line drive, pivoted towards first and caught the Madelia runner off base.
Harley Connor reaches out to glove a Madelia grounder in front of the plate.
Lexy Waldron sets up to field a Madelia hit to centerfield.
Delaney Thompson staffed the circle to pitch to Central in game three at Caswell.
Emma Sweere had the only Clipper hit against Central.
Shortstop Sophie Shouler sets up for a throw from the outfield after a Central hit.