With a pair of wins over Mankato Loyola at ISG field on Saturday, the Clippers, 6-0 in the Valley Conference with two conference games remaining, are guaranteed at least a tie for the best Conference record, but they have handed Madelia its only two losses.
Neither win over the Crusaders came easily.
Coming back from a 0-4 deficit to deadlock the game 4-4 in the sixth, the Crusaders had all the momentum in game one, but after Brennan Kortuem walked in the bottom of the seventh, the Crusaders overthrew second on Kortuem’s attempt to steal. As Kortuem headed to third, the throw from the outfield was off the mark too, and the senior crossed the plate for the walk off triumph.
Game two was a 3-1 skirmish with the duel of Kortuem and Carson Lyons teaming up on the mound and the Clippers outhitting the Crusaders 5-2.
Head coach Charlie Haugen said it all got down to believing in themselves.
“They just feel they can win any game going in. Even though Loyola is a great team and coached really well, the mentality is ‘let’s go and take a couple.’”
Loyola came into the game with a Valley win over GHEC/T/ML but a loss to Madelia
The Clippers drew first blood in game one when, in the bottom of the first with two outs, Caleb Connor got a free pass. Up next, Miles Tomaszewski drove a single into left field. Courtesy running for Connor, Kiptyn Coon scored from second on a Braeden Smith single.
The orange & black machine added three more runs in the second, again with two outs. Kyle Connor walked, and Lyons sent a hard-hit grounder into left field for single. Both crossed the plate when Kortuem dropped a hit just inside the right field line for a triple. After a Caleb Connor single, the Clippers were in front 4-0 early.
In the sixth, the Crusaders, who beat the Clippers 9-6 last season, walked twice and singled to set the stage for a two-RBI single. Another walk loaded the bases, and two more runs scored on a grounder when the Clippers couldn’t hookup on a putout throw to first for an error.
Kortuem got caught stealing earlier in the game, but Haugen, who has kept his team aggressive on the basepaths, sent him again after he walked in the seventh instead of having Caleb Connor bunt.
“Caleb has a strong bat,” Haugen said. “We want him swinging.”
Although Connor flew out, Tomaszewski, whose bat is a certified weapon, was up next, but Kortuem took off on the first pitch before making around the base paths on the pair of Loyola misthrows.
“Any time you are able to take a game from Loyola is a great day,” Haugen said.
Tomaszewski threw for five and two-thirds innings. He allowed two earned runs, three hits and four walks. He beaned one and struck out six. Lyons took over and faced one batter in the sixth and five batters in the seventh. He walked two but didn’t allow a hit or a walk.
The Clippers out hit the Crusaders 8-3 and walked four times and struck out just three times. Tomaszewski was 3-3 with a trio of singles. Kortuem had a single and a triple. Connor, Smith and Lyons all had singles. The Clippers got snared on the base paths twice, once rounding third and once stealing second.
Loyola committed four errors, one more than the Clippers. Catcher Caleb Connor caught a player in a rundown trying to steal home on a squeeze play (above). Loyola twisted one double play. The Clippers stranded seven Loyola runners and were left on base six times themselves.
Cleveland 3, Loyola 1
Sparked by a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth, all on Kortuem strikeouts, the Clippers inflicted all their damage in the fifth. Kyle Connor walked, Kale Kelley’s hit caromed off the pitcher for an infield single, Nathan Seeman grounded into a fielder’s choice that advanced Connor to third, and Lyons doubled into left to score Connor. Not to be outdone, Kortuem followed up with a double for two RBIs.
On a pair of walks, a passed ball and an infield throwing error, the Crusaders lone run came in the sixth.
Kortuem tossed five and a third innings. He allowed one hit and one run while striking out six, walking four and hitting one batter. He left three on base. Taking over, Lyons gave up one hit while walking one and striking out two. He also marooned a trio of Crusader runners.
Lyons said it didn’t bother too much to have a long break between mound appearances.
“The weather wasn’t too bad tonight, and I stayed loose between them, so it was all right.”
Tomaszewski added a pair of singles to his already impressive resume. Kortuem and Lyons each had a double. Kelley hit a single. They struck out six times, walked three times and got hit by a pitch one time. Loyola pitchers left five on base.
The Clippers head to Welcome tonight for a 4:30 game against Martin County West.
The Mavericks are 0-4 in the conference. That game sets up a home game against GHEC/T/ML on Thursday. The Jaguars, who lost to Cleveland 4-3 in 10 innings back on April 10, are coming off a 7-3 loss to Madelia. In the Valley, they beat MCW twice but lost to Loyola 4-2. Madelia is 4-2.
