While Martin County West dominated the Clipper girls 7-1 a year ago, in a pitchers’ duel on Thursday, the Clippers avenged the loss with a narrow 3-2 triumph.
It was another stellar performance in the circle by Delaney Thompson (above). Going the distance, she struck out a dozen while allowing five hits and walking just one. She stranded six runners on base.
While the Clippers didn’t pound the Maverick’s ace, they did what they needed to do, said head coach Rich Kern.
“She was throwing good gas, but we’ve been hitting on that all year. We were disciplined at the plate.”
With center fielder Ava Hahn off at a track meet, Kern had to shuffle the usual lineup. Lacey McCabe moved from left field to center while freshman Kiya Sohn, in her varsity debut, was penciled into the left field slot. Taylor Wolf moved from right field to first while Cecilia Gair was stationed in right field.
But everyone contributed, Kern said, and the defense, in a game where every out was big, came up with some excellent plays, including Taylor McCabe at second stopping a hard-hit ball and tossing it to first base, Lacy McCabe making a fine running catch in center field, Sohn making a nice grab in left field and Thompson diving for a catch in the infield.
The Mavericks, who, with wins over JWP and Nicollet, came to town with a 2-0 record, put up a run in the first on a walk, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI single to left field.
But the Clippers, who were coming off a 7-3 win over Madelia in Searles on Tuesday, canceled it in the bottom of the same inning when MCW’s pitcher issued three-straight walks. After a strikeout, Lacey McCabe got a free pass home to deadlock the game 1-1.
The Mavericks swung for a hit to start the inning three and stole second. But on a catcher Keira Schipper throw to Anna Lamont at third, the Clippers caught the runner stealing, and with two strikeouts, Thompson got out of the frame unscathed.
The Mavericks only committed a pair of errors, but both in the bottom of the third, they made the difference.
Thompson led off the frame with a hard-hit ball to center field for a single. Up next, Schipper hit a line drive to left field for a single.
With Thompson out at third, Kaitlyn Flowers hit into a fielder’s choice. A throw to first was off target, and Schipper scored while Flowers, after running into the player on the base, advanced to second. From there, Lacey McCabe hit into a ground out, but trying to catch Flowers at third, the throw from first base rolled to the fence, and Flowers scored to put the Clippers in front 3-1.
That was the winning run, and Thompson, backed up by the Clipper fielders, came through when they needed to.
The Mavericks started the sixth with a double. The runner advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out. MCW threatened in the seventh when a runner reached first on an infield throwing error, but Thompson whiffed the other three batters.
Schipper said that Thompson’s comeback this year after being out all last season has been amazing. Still, it was nerve racking behind the plate knowing the tying run was on base and that it was a big win and one that was done as a team.
“I just knew I had to stop these balls. As one of the upperclassmen, people depend on me, but I play for my team.”
The Clippers committed four errors but none were consequential.
The Clippers had four hits and walked on six occasions. Flowers singled in the fifth but got caught trying to take second, and Lamont singled in the sixth. They struck out 10 times.
Cleveland 7, Madelia 3
Thompson walked in the game’s first at bat. Hahn got hit by a pitch, and both scored on a Schipper triple. Schipper scored on a wild pitch, and the Clippers, up 3-0 early, never looked back.
They added three more runs in the third when Flowers and Taylor McCabe singled and Lacey McCabe walked to load the bases. Flowers sashayed home when Wolf walked, and the McCabe siblings both crossed the plage on a Thompson single.
The Clippers added their final run in the sixth when Hahn walked, Schipper doubled and Hahn scored on a stray pitch.
The Blackhawks scored one run in the fourth and two in the sixth.
Neither team committed an error. Thompson threw all seven innings for the win. She allowed five hits and four walks while beaning one and striking out 14.
The Clippers walked 10 times and totaled six hits. With a single, a double and a triple, Schipper was 3-4 at the plate. Flowers, Thompson and Taylor McCabe each hit a single.
The Clippers, now off to a 4-0 start, host Lester Prairie tonight. With two losses to Sleepy Eye, the Bulldogs will be looking for their first win.
