It took a little while for Delaney Thompson to get a grip on Tuesday.
Pitching against visiting Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Martin Luther/Truman in lower 40-degree temperature and a bitter easterly wind, the junior gave up three walks in the first inning. And, on an infield error, a stolen base with an error tacked on and finally an RBI groundout, the leadoff batter made her way around the base paths to put the Jaguars in front 1-0.
Later, in the third, the Jaguars took advantage of a couple wild pitches and a walk to go in front 3-2.
But despite a few setbacks, Thompson was dominant in the circle. The hurler rang up 10 strikeouts, and the Clippers went on to a 14-4 victory. Two days later, Thompson struck out a dozen as the Clippers downed St. Clair/Loyola in St. Clair 11-3.
“Your hand gets really cold, and it is not really that fun playing in the cold weather,” said Thompson, who returns as the Clippers’ ace for the second-straight year after sitting out the 2024 season with a leg injury. “It took me a couple of innings to warm up, but we made it through.”
The Clippers took back the lead in the bottom of the second. Natalie Flowers dropped a hit into short center field to start a four for four night. Flowers stole second and scored when older sister Kaitlyn Flowers airmailed a hit to deep center field. Flowers the elder scored when Brooke Bosse sent a grounder up the middle, and the Clippers led 2-1.
Thompson whiffed three batters in the second inning while the Clippers put the ball in play but didn’t get on base. In the top of the third, the lead off batter singled, advanced to second on a walk, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. The first runner scored on a single, and the second on a wild pitch before Thompson fanned two to end the frame.
The Clippers took a lead in the bottom of the third they wouldn’t relinquish. Thompson bunted her way on base and advanced to third when Natalie Flowers poked a double to deep center field. Both scored when Keira Schipper bashed a double to deep left field. Schipper crossed the plate when Hadley Thompson hit a grounder up the middle for a 5-3 Clipper advantage.
After Thompson retired the side 1-2-3 in the fourth, the Clippers added another run when, supporting her cause on the rubber, she doubled and then scored when Natalie Flowers found an open slot of real estate in right field.
The Clippers came up with a nice defensive play in the fifth. The Jag’s leadoff batter walked, advanced to third on a single and scored on a sacrifice fly. After the other runner progressed to third on the sac fly, Schipper tried to pick her off from her spot behind the plate, but her toss sailed past Natalie Flowers at third. But Hadley Thompson in left was there to grab the errant throw and whip it back to Schipper, who set herself up behind the plate for the tag, and the Clippers maintained a 6-4 advantage.
By that time, everyone wanted to get out of the cold, and the Clippers got it done with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to effect the 10-run rule.
Schipper and Kaitlyn Flowers took advantage of back-to-back walks and both scored when Bosse hit a hard grounder that got through the shortstop. Hadley Thompson hit into an error too, and she and Bosse crossed the dish when Taylor Wolf smacked a line drive for a double.
Pinch hitting, Addison Sandhurst took a pitch for the team, and she and Wolf scored when Natalie Flowers hit a slow roller to second base for an infield hit. After Schipper hit an RBI double, Kaitlyn Flowers doubled to score Schipper and end the game in five.
The Clippers out hit the Jags 13-3. Kaitlyn Flowers hit a pair of doubles. Schipper collected a single and a double, purloined two bases and batted in three runners. Delaney Thompson hit two singles. Wolf hit a double. Bosse and Hadley Thompson each hit a single. The Clippers didn’t strike out at all and walked twice.
Thompson went all five innings. She gave up three hits and six walks for three earned runs.
Cleveland 11, St. Clair/Loyola 3
Thompson was again fire in the circle, this time with a dozen strikeouts against the Spartans.
The Clippers got the party started in the top of the first when Natalie Flowers hit into a fielder’s choice, stole second, advanced to third on a Schipper single and scored when her sister grounded out. Schipper scored from third on a wild pitch for a 2-0 Clipper lead early.
Schipper led off the third with another single, stole second and made it the rest of the way around the base paths on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Kaitlyn Flowers walked, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Taylor McCabe ground out for a 4-0 Clipper advantage.
Natalie Flowers led off the third with a single that, with an error tacked on, set her up on second for Schipper to bring her home on her third-straight hit. Schipper filched second and third and scored on a wild pitch. McCabe walked and came home on a Bosse three bagger. With a Hadley Thompson RBI ground out, the Clippers were in front 8-0.
On a two-out single, followed by a double and another single, the Spartans put up two runs in the sixth. The third batter scored on an outfield error.
Schipper led off the seventh with her fourth single, took second on a wild pitch and stole third. Kaitlyn Flowers walked and made the easy trip to second. Schipper scored on a Bosse ground out, and Flowers came home from third on a Hadley Thompson single. Thompson advanced to third after a passed ball and a wild pitch and scored on a Wolf single to put the Clippers in front 11-3 before Thompson struck out the side, 1-2-3 in the last frame.
The Clippers tallied 11 hits. Schipper peppered the Spartan offense with four hits, all singles, in four at bats. Bosse and Hadley Thompson were tough to handle back-to-back in the lineup, as each drove in two runs. Bosse bashed a triple and a single while Hadley Thompson connected for one single. Delaney Thompson, Natalie Flowers and Wolf also had one hit. Cecilia Gair had her first hit of the season, when she dropped a single near the left-field line in the second.
The Clippers were patient at the plate, tallying five walks. McCabe and Kaitlyn Flowers led the team with two walks each. The Clippers ran wild on the base paths, piling up five stolen bases. Schipper stole four of them.
Thompson permitted four hits and three runs over seven innings while walking one. Half of her Ks were looking.
The Clippers return to action on Tuesday when they compete on Janesville’s artificial turf
Above: Flower power: Four for four against GHEC/T/ML, eighth grader Natalie Flowers was fire at the plate.
Shortstop Kaitlyn Flowers readies to scoop up a Jaguar grounder.
Delaney Thompson battled through the cold and struck out 10 Jaguar batters.
Taylor Wolf, the Clippers’ only lefty, picked up her first hit of the season: a two-RBI double in the fifth.
It was also a good night at the plate for Keira Schipper when the Clippers took on GHEC/T/ML but even a better one for the junior catcher two days later when she went four for four in St Clair.