With a win over Martin County West in Welcome on Tuesday, the Clipper boys clinched the Valley Division title with a 7-0 record.
It is the first time they have won the Valley, at least since returning to an independent team in 2012 after being combined with Le Center as the Coyotes. Facing visiting GHEC/T/ML tonight, they will look to sweep the Valley.
Down 2-0, the Clippers finally got their game on in the sixth when they scored six runs. From there, they never glanced back.
“We started rallying and playing the game that we can,” said head coach Charlie Haugen.
The Mavericks went in front 1-0 in the bottom of the second when the lead-off batter doubled, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a Clipper error. They scored again in the fourth when the lead-off hitter walked, advanced to second on an error and scored when his teammate bunted into a fielder’s choice where the Clippers botched the play at first but recovered to get the on-base runner at second.
But Mavericks committed two errors to set the stage for six Clipper runs in the top of the fifth. Leading off, Kyle Connor hit into an error by the shortstop. Following, Kale Kelley bunted, and with an overthrow from third to first, he and Connor were in scoring position. Taking advantage, Nathan Seeman sent a ball out to center field for a single and two RBIs.
The Mavericks tossed out Seeman trying to grab second on the play, but Carson Lyons got hit by a pitch and crossed the plate on a Brennan Kortuem double. Caleb Connor dropped a fly into center field for a single, and he and Kortuem scored when Miles Tomaszewski blasted a triple. When Tomaszewski scored on a Braeden Smith ground out, the Clippers were suddenly up 6-2.
Alex Kortuem retired the Mavericks 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, and, back at the plate, the Clippers piled on three more runs. Seeman led off with a single and advanced to third when Lyons hit into an error. Brennan Kortuem scored them both on a double and crossed the plate when Tomaszewski’s grounder ricocheted off the third baseman.
On a pair of singles, the Maverick managed another run in the sixth, but the only drama left was seeing if Alex Kortuem could stay under the 105-pitch limit and go the distance. Four throws under the wire, he did. Of them, 63 were strikes. He allowed five hits and walked three while striking out four and hitting one batter. Five Mavericks were left on base.
“I wanted him to have that,” Haugen said. “That’s a really cool thing to throw a complete game. He did a really awesome job. We had errors in the field, so he had to battle through some stuff, but he stayed composed and threw strikes and was a dog up there. It was really fun to watch. He’s been a great pitcher for us the last two years, and I am just really happy for him today.”
While Tomaszewski maintains a batting average well above .500, for the rest of the Clippers, their hitting has skewed toward the lackluster side so far this year. With 10 hits against the Mavericks though, they all had a chance to improve.
Brennan Kortuem slammed a pair of doubles. Caleb Connor, Alex Kortuem and Seeman each poked two singles. Tomaszewski ripped a triple. Lyons collected a single.
It was an error-riddled game with the Mavericks committing seven blunders and the Clippers suffering five, all by the infield.
Cleveland vs MCW was the only game in the Valley on Tuesday. GHEC/T/ML comes to town with a 2-3 record in the conference, but it took the Clippers 10 innings to beat them in Truman back on April 10. The Clippers would like to go 8-0 to mop up the Valley in front of the home crowd.
“That would be awesome,” Haugen said. “These guys have been working hard. It’s easy for me to be here when we have such a great group of guys who are playing so well and doing their jobs. It’s fun to see the fruits of their labor.”
Above: Pitcher Alex Kortuem loses his footing while winding up for a throw to first…
