As a 35-mph wind drove 40-degree air across the Janesville carpet on Friday, the Clipper varsity girls scored a pair of runs in the seventh to stalemate with JWP 6-6, but the Bulldogs posted a run in the seventh to walk off with the triumph.
The Clippers were coming off a decisive loss to host LCWM a day earlier but beat Sibley East the Monday before and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown the Friday before that.
With two outs in the seventh, Cassandra Connor bashed a line drive double to centerfield for her fourth hit of the game. Connor scored when Ava Hahn hit a line drive to right field for her third single of the game. Not leaving her sister stranded, Greta Hahn dropped a hit just behind second base for an RBI single.
But, as they had done all game, the Bulldogs had an answer, this time when they followed a single with an RBI double to deep center for the victory.
The Clippers grounded out four times or the last two innings, and that didn’t help, said head coach Mike Barten.
“We hit balls right on but went right to people, a foot either way. In the weather, it’s hard to get loose, but I thought we hit the ball well and got some bunts down and put pressure on their defense.”
With back-to-back-to-back singles off the sticks of Kaitlyn Flowers, Connor and Ava Hahn, the Clippers scored a run in the first, but the Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the same inning with a single, a triple and an RBI ground out for a pair of runs.
After a scoreless second, the Clippers posted a run in the third when Keira Schipper reached first on a fielder’s choice after a Laci Hollerich hit. Schipper swiped second and scored on a Connor single.
But on a single, a passed ball and a pair of errors, both by the infield, the Bulldogs put up two more runs in the third for a 4-2 advantage.
After a scoreless fourth, the Clippers added two more runs in the fifth when Schipper reached second on an infield error and advanced to third on a Flowers bunt single (above), where no one was covering first, before Connor dripped a two RBI single into right field to deadlock the game 4-4.
“Kaitlyn did a great job getting the bunt down,” Barten said. “We say to ‘get into a race with the ball,’ and she did that as did a few others tonight.”
The Bulldogs once again responded, this time with a homer, an error and a double for two runs. But the Clippers twisted a double play when Flowers at shortstop threw to Hollerich at first for one out and Flowers relayed back to Connor at third to nab the runner. The inning ended on a groundout.
The Clippers struck out eight times and totaled a dozen hits. Connor was four for four with three singles and a double. Ava Hahn was three for four with two singles, a double and a fielder’s choice. Flowers hit two singles. Hollerich, Anna Lamont and Greta Hahn each had a single.
The Clippers had four miscues, three more than JWP.
Lilly Lamont pitched six and a third innings before the Bulldogs walked off with the win. She allowed nine hits and no walks and struck out three. She said the cold and wind were brutal, but she fought through it, and the team was behind her, which helped a lot, she said.
“Yeah, control is a little off. Handwarmers really help. The good thing was everyone was still having fun.”
LCWM 15, Cleveland 0
In Lake Crystal on April 18, the Clippers only managed a pair of hits: a double off the bat of Hollerich in the first off LCWM’s starting pitcher and a single from Connor in the fourth off the Knight’s reliver.
The hits were the only times the Clippers got on a base. They stuck out five times. Five Clippers got up twice and the rest only once.
Meanwhile, the Knights pounded a dozen hits. They scored four runs in the first, nine in the second, one in the third and one in the fourth to effect the 15-run rule.
Flowers threw for two innings. She gave up eight hits and seven walks and struck out two. Lilly Lamont threw for an inning and two thirds before the walk off. She allowed four hits and one walk and struck out two.
The Clippers had three errors. The Knights had no errors.
“They just hit trough the lineup,” Barten said.
The Knights are exiting the Valley after this year, so it is the last conference game the Clippers will play against them.
Cleveland 13, WEM 6
In Waterville on April 15, the Clippers scored three runs in the first—all on a Hollerich homer—and never looked back in a 13-6 triumph.
“Laci’s homer gave energy and confidence to all of our girls,” Barten said.
Schipper and Flowers got on board on errors before Hollerich’s homer.
In the second, Lacey McCabe walked, advanced on a Taylor Wolf sacrifice bunt and scored on the same play on a throwing error by the first baseman. Anna Lamont singled, moved to second on a Schipper single, advanced to third on an error and scored on a Hollerich sacrifice fly to put the Clippers in front 5-1.
The Bucs posted a run in the third, but after a scoreless fourth, the Clippers scored five runs in the fifth. The first two were after two walks, an error and a Greta Hahn two-RBI line drive single. Hahn swiped two bases and scored on a wild pitch. Wolf walked and scored on a Schipper RBI triple. Schipper crossed the plate after a wild pitch to put the Clippers in front nine to two.
The Bucs posted a run in the bottom of the fifth, but the Clippers added three more in the seventh on singles by Anna Lamont, Schipper, Flowers and Hollerich. Lamont scored on an error, and Hollerich’s hit was good for two RBIs.
The Bucs took advantage of three walks and a single to score three runs in the seventh.
The Clippers struck out seven times and collected 10 hits. Schipper terrorized the Bucs with a triple, a double and two singles. Hollerich hit a single and a homer. Anna Lamont had a pair of singles. Flowers and Greta Hahn each had one single.
With four and two thirds innings in the circle, Lilly Lamont earned the win. She allowed seven hits, two walks and two earned runs while striking out two. In relief, Flowers gave up one hit, walked three and struck out three.
Lilly pitched great through five innings, and Kaitlyn came in and finished it,” Barten said. “It was a fun one to watch.”
WEM suffered seven errors, six more than the Clippers.
Cleveland 7, Sibley East 4
Trailing 2-0, Sibley East scored four runs in the fifth, but the rest of the game was all Clippers in a 7-4 win in Arlington on April 12.
Leading off the sixth, Taylor McCabe walked. Flowers laid down a bunt that the player staffing third couldn’t handle, and everyone was safe. Up next, Greta Hahn popped a hit into right field to score McCabe. Running for Flowers, Anna Lamont took third on the play and Hahn advanced to second.
Back to small ball, Lacey McCabe dropped down a bunt that drew another error, this time by the first baseman. Hahn and Lamont crossed home plate on the play to put the Clippers in front 5-4.
Top-of-the-order Schipper led off the sixth with a single. Hollerich took a free pass to first, and, up next, Connor popped an RBI single into right field.
Hollerich got picked off at second, and Connor moved to second on a Taylor McCabe sacrifice. Running for Connor, Wolf advanced to third on a wild pitch before stealing home.
The Clippers got on the scoreboard in the third when Hollerich hit into an error, advanced to second on a Connor single and scored on a Flowers single. After Connor was forced out on a fielder’s choice, Ava Hahn singled to load the bases. When Lacey McCabe walked, Flowers strolled home.
The Wolverine runs in the fifth came on a single, a walk and three more base jots.
The Clippers struck out 10 times but were effective with their six hits. Connor was two for three and got hit by a pitch. The Hahn sisters, Schipper and Flowers each had one hit.
Flowers went the distance in the circle. She allowed seven hits and three walks but struck out 13.
“Kaitlyn did a great job,” Barten said.
Sibley East committed four errors, one more than the Clippers.
The finish of a six-game road stand, the Clippers travel up the Loyola hill tonight (Tuesday) to take on the St. Clair/Loyola combo.
