With a run in the fifth, the Cleveland U14 boys had a brief lead over visiting Medford on Tuesday, 6-5, but the Tigers put four runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh en route to a 12-7 victory.
The Clippers committed a whopping eight errors in the contest. Only five of the Tiger runs were earned.
On an error, an RBI triple and another error, The Tigers led 2-0 in the top of the first. On walk, a single and an error, they added a run in the second. On a single with steals of second and third and another Clipper infield error on the putout attempt, the added another run in the third for a 4-0 advantage.
But the Clippers pulled within a run in the third when Carson Jindra got hit by a pitch, Brennon Holicky and Nolan Schlaak hit back-to-back singles and Tony Hollerich airmailed a hit past the left fielder for a three-RBI triple.
On a walk and double, the Tigers put up another run in the fourth to lead 5-3, but the Clippers deadlocked the game in the bottom of that inning when Gauge Bock took a pitch for the team, advanced to second on a wild pitch, to third on a passed ball and scored on a Urijah Hoheisel single. Jonathan Cink followed with a single to put Hoheisel on second before Hoheisel stole third and scored on a passed ball.
The Tigers went down one-two-three in the fifth, and the Clippers took the lead when Jake Mueller walked, and Hollerich slammed another triple.
But the Tigers responded with four runs on a hit batter, a single, a double, a pair of walks, another hit batter and a fielder’s choice to go in front 9-6. The Clippers managed another run in the top of the sixth when Brayden Seeman got a free pass and Hoheisel hit into an error in right field that scored Seeman.
With a single, three walks and a pair of Clipper miscues, the Tigers added three runs in the seventh to put the finishing touches on their victory.
Facing a quartet of pitchers, the Clippers totaled seven hits, one less than Medford. Hollerich had two triples and batted in four runs. Hoheisel had a single and an RBI. Schlaak, Cink, Holicky and Pierce Lyons each hit a single. The Clippers walked five times, struck out seven times and abandoned nine on base.
Jack Mons threw the first five innings. He gave up one earned run on five hits, walked two and struck out six. Lyons took over for the sixth inning. He allowed two hits and four earned runs while walking three and striking out none. Evan Hoffmann (above) threw the final inning and didn’t permit an earned run. He gave up one hit and three walks while striking out two, both looking. The Clippers kept 10 Medford runners on base.
Yesterday’s game with JWP was rained out. The U14 Clippers will return to action on Monday when they travel to Waseca.