Facing host Martin County West on Tuesday, the varsity girls had to play their best ball if they wanted to leave Welcome with a victory.
They didn’t. Instead, they suffered through four errors that led to four unearned runs, and the Mavericks, who were edged by the Clippers 3-2 back on April 10, handed the Clippers their second loss of the season with a 6-1 triumph.
“That’s now how we wanted to play,” said head coach April Thompson. “But we’ll get back in the batting cage and on the field and work on the things we need to work on.”
With two outs and runners on first and second, both on walks, the Clippers were close to getting out of the first inning unscathed, but an overthrow at first base allowed a run to score before a ground out on a similar play ended the inning.
The Clippers tied the game in the top of the seventh when Cecelia Gair walked, advanced on a ground out and scored on a Kiya Sohn single.
But that was the only run the Clippers could muster, and the Mavericks, capitalizing on a pair of missed fly balls to the outfield, went up 2-1 in the second and never looked back.
On a walk, another missed catch in the outfield and a two-RBI single, MCW added two more runs in the third. A pair of singles led to another Maverick run in the fourth, and they scored their final run in the sixth on a walk, a wild pitch, a sacrifice bunt and a single.
In six innings, Delaney Thompson gave up five hits and five walks while striking out 10. She left eight on base.
The Clippers were overwhelmed by the speed of the Maverick pitcher. Anna Lamont singled in the fourth for the only other Clipper hit. They walked three times, struck out nine times and got stranded on base five times.
With the Clipper defeat, there is now a three-way tie in the four-team Valley with the Clippers, MCW and Nicollet all 2-1. Madelia is 0-3.
The host Clippers take on non-conference St. Clair tonight.
Above: In her third game at third base, Ava Hahn winds up for putout throw to first.
