After pounding visiting Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 10-3 on Monday, the Clippers fell 6-2 to section rival New Ulm Cathedral at the venerable Johnson Park in New Ulm.
NUC’s only loss this season was to Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s. The Thursday before the Clippers came to town, Cathedral beat state top ranked Springfield in both halves of a double header.
But NUC 6, Cleveland 2 was a game that, except for a few plays here and there, could have skewed much further toward the Clippers’ direction.
“We pitched really well against them. It was just one inning that got away from us,” said head coach Charlie Haugen. “It was a 2-2 ballgame. We gave them four unearned runs. But the most important thing for the coaching staff is that, going into sections, it shows we can compete with these teams. We’re right in these games, so I am really encouraged by it.”
The Clippers’ Friday game at Heron Lake was cancelled due to field conditions. They close out their regular season on Monday when they host 3-12 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.
Cleveland 10, Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 3
In the Clippers’ first at bat, Carson Lyons stroked a hard grounder to center field for a single. On his way to swipe second, the catcher’s putout throw looped into the outfield, and Lyons took third on the error. He scored when Brennan Kortuem hit into an infield throwing error.
Up next, Caleb Connor landed a hit into right field, and Miles Tomaszewski drove a hit into center field to score Kortuem from second.
The Clippers could have done more damage after Braeden Smith hit into an infield error to load the bases, but the inning ended on a fielder’s choice and a double play.
In the second, Lyons hit a two-out single and scored when Kortuem hit into an infield error for a 3-0 Clipper advantage. In the third, Smith hit into an infield error. On his way to steal second, the throw from the catcher caromed into centerfield, and Smith flipped on the turbo switch to score on the error.
The Knights put up a run in the fourth after a single and a pair of walks loaded the bases with the runner coming home on a wild pitch. But Lyons regrouped and struck out the next two batters to end the frame.
Kortuem got hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fourth. After Connor walked, Kortuem scored when Tomaszewski hit into an infield error to put the Clippers in front 5-1
On a hit batter, a walk and a pair of singles, the Knights pulled within two, 3-5 in the top of the fifth, but the Clippers responded with five runs after a Kale Kelley single, an RBI Kortuem single, and error, a Tomaszewski two-RBI double, a Smith RBI single and an Alex Kortuem RBI single.
The Clippers outhit the Knights 10-7, walked four times, got hit by one pitch and struck out only twice, but they left 11 runners on base. The Knights suffered a dozen errors. Only one Clipper run was earned.
Tomaszewski pounded a double and a single for three RBIs. Lyons collected two singles. The Connor cousins, Kyle and Caleb, and the Kortuem siblings as well as Smith and Kelley each had one hit.
Brennan Kortuem stared on the hill and tossed for three innings. He allowed two hits and no walks while striking out seven and stranding four runners. In three innings in relief, Lyons permitted five hits and four walks for while striking out four and beaning one. The three runs during his tenure were earned. He marooned six on base.
NUC 6, Cleveland 2
The Clipper runs were bookends with their first run coming in the first when Lyons led off with a single, stole second and scored on a Caleb Connor triple. Their other run came in the seventh when Kelley led off with a single, stole second, advanced to third on the pickoff attempt and scored on a wild pitch.
Cathedral deadlocked the game 1-1 after the first when the leadoff batter singled, stole second and scored on a single.
The Greyhounds’ five other runs came in the fifth, the first one on a leadoff triple, a hit batter, and an RBI single.
With a runner on third after a steal, Tomaszewski threw a wild pitch but came to the plate for the toss from catcher Caleb Connor to nail the runner trying to reach home. But after a walk and a sacrifice bunt for an RBI, another run scored on an overthrow to first. The batter made it to third on the play before scoring on a sacrifice fly. The next batter tripled and scored on a balk for a 6-1 Greyhound advantage.
In the seventh, the Clippers had the tying run on deck. but the game ended on a ground out.
Caleb Connor had a triple and a single. Kelley hit a double and a single. Lyons hit a single.
The Knights only outhit the Clippers 6-5. Eight Clippers were stranded on base compared to the six Knights that were left on base. Tomaszewski, who pitched the first five innings, walked five and hit one batter while striking out six and leaving six on base. Throwing the duration, NUC’s pitcher issued two walks, beaned two while striking out 10 and stranding eight Clippers on base.
Brennan Kortuem took over the mound in the sixth, and the Greyhounds went down in order on a ground out, a line out and another ground out.
Each team committed two errors, but only two of Cathedra’s runs were earned. One Clipper run was earned.
The score was similar to the 5-1 win the Greyhounds had over the Clippers back on April 15.
Above: Shortstop Carson Lyons sets up to field an Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons grounder. He made the catch and a force-out throw to second.
