For the second year in a row, the going-into-seventh-grade Clipper girls won their U12 tier of the state tournament. The competition was held in Rochester last weekend.
The Clippers edged the Mankato Peppers Chronic 2-1 in the first game on Saturday. Later in the day, they beat the Dover-Eyota Storm 8-6. On Sunday, they rolled over Minnetonka Tonka 9-0 before beating the Storm again, this time 6-5.
While three of the games were nail biters, coach Misty Voit said the Clippers had tough competition during the regular season, and that made the difference.
“They learned a lot. We brought all that learning to state with them and played solid defense. Our pitching was also on point with very few walks and lots of strikeouts, and our bats were hot when we needed them.”
Clippers 2, Mankato Peppers 1
Blair Voit blasted a two-out triple in the bottom of the first and scored when Addison Sandhurst followed with a single. Leading off the third, Voit slammed another triple and crossed the plate on an error during a Sandhurst pop out.
The Peppers’ lone run came in the fifth when the leadoff batter walked, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and stole home.
The Clippers outhit the Peppers 8-1. Voit was three for three with two triples and a single. Sandhurst had a single and an RBI. Olivia Olson, Khloe McCabe, Charlie Gair and Kennedy Schleeve all had singles. The Clippers walked once and struck out nine times. Mankato had one error. The Clippers didn’t commit an error.
Voit befuddled the Peppers all seven innings. She struck out 17, including five looking, and walked just one batter.
Clippers 8, Dover-Eyota Storm 6
The Storm took a 2-0 lead in the second after a single, a walk, a steal of home and an RBI single. They added two more runs in the third on a double and a home run.
But, sticking with their MO, the Clippers started to battel back in the fourth when Voit led off with a single, stole second and scored on a Sandhurst single. They deadlocked the game 4-4 midway through the fifth when, with two outs, McCabe and Bella Baker walked, and Voit smashed an RBI double. Baker scored on a Sandhurst single, and Voit swiped home.
With two walks and two singles for two runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Storm quickly regained the lead, but it was all Clippers the rest of the way with four runs in the sixth.
Leading off the frame, Brylee Kortuem walked, and Gair swung for a single. Kortuem stole home, and Schleeve walked. McCabe singled to load the bases, and Gair scored on a Baker ground out before Voit’s bat struck again, this time for a two-RBI triple that put the Clippers in front 8-6.
With three singles, the Storm threatened in the bottom of the sixth, but Sandhurst, who took over for Voit in the circle starting the second inning, picked off the runner at third before she struck out the batter for the last out and the game timed out.
The Storm outhit the Clippers 11-7. Voit was three for four with a triple, a double and a single and three RBIs. Sandhurst had two singles and two RBIs. McCabe and Gair each had a base hit. Baker brought in a run. The Clippers walked seven times, struck out five times and left five runners on base.
In one inning in the circle, Voit permitted three hits for two earned runs while walking one and striking out one. In her five innings, Sandhurst gave up eight hits and four earned runs while walking five and striking out eight, including five looking.
Clippers 9, Minnetonka Tonka 0
McCabe led off the first with a walk, Voit singled, and Sandhurst hit an RBI single. Voit scored on a wild pitch, and the Clippers, leading 2-0, never looked back.
Victoria Richie led off the second with a single. Schleeve singled, and Ritchie stole third and home. Schleeve scored on an wayward pitch for a 4-0 Clipper advantage.
Voit, who, after Saturday's games had to register her bat as a certified weapon, led off the second with a double. Taking advantage of off-target throws on the play, she advanced to third and scored. Olson walked and scored on a Ritchie double. Gair walked and stole second while Ritchie purloined home. Gair crossed the plate on a McCabe single to put the Clippers in front 9-0.
The Clippers outhit Tonka 8-2. Voit had a single, a double and an RBI. Ritchie had a single, a double and two RBIs. Sandhurst and McCabe each had a single and an RBI. Kortuem and Schleeve each had a single. The Clippers walked four times, struck out seven times and left four of their runners on base.
Voit tossed all five innings. She struck out a dozen and walked none. The Clipper defense marooned two runners.
Clippers 6, Dover-Eyota Storm 5
Looking to avenge their earlier loss to win the championship, the Storm took a brief lead in the first on a pair of singles and a steal of home, but the Clippers responded in the bottom of the same inning when McCabe and Baker walked before Sandhurst airmailed a hit to centerfield for a two-RBI double. Olson singled, Sandhurst stole home, and Olson scored on a Kortuem double for a 4-1 Clipper lead.
The Clippers added another run in the third when Voit led off with a double and scored on an Olson single, but with three singles and a double the Storm put up three runs in the fourth to pull within one, 5-4.
In the bottom of the fourth, McCabe singled, but after Baker walked, McCabe got thrown out at third on a Voit single. The Clippers added a run they would need though when Sandhurst singled to bring Baker home.
On a dropped third strike, third strike, an error during a steal and an RBI single, the Storm threatened in the fifth, but the inning ended when Kortuem at first fielded a grounder and stepped on base for the third out. Time ran out on the game clock after.
The Storm out hit the Clippers 12-2. Olson was three-for-three at the plate. Sandhurst hit a single and a double and had three RBIs. Kortuem had a double and a single and one RBI. Voit had a single and a double. McCabe had a single. The Clippers struck out seven times, walked three times and left seven runners on base.
Voit started in the circle. She gave up 11 hits and no walks while striking out six. Sandhurst took over with two outs in the fifth and faced two batters. She gave up a base hit. The Clippers made two errors. Dover-Eyota made no errors.
The Clippers finish their season with a 14-11 record.
Above: The U12 Clippers with their medals. They are, from L-R, front row: Charlie Gair, Victoria Ritchie, Khloe McCabe, Brylee Kortuem and Kennedy Schleeve. Back row: Coach Misty Voit, coach Brady Olson, Brienna Groebner, Olivia Olson, Addison Sandhurst, Blair Voit, Bella Baker, coach Josh Groebner and coach Steve Baker. Photo courtesy of Jason Voit.