Taking advantage of what Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton gave them on Tuesday, the varsity Clippers girls upped their record to 3-1 when they topped the Bulldogs 12-2 on Janesville’s artificial turf.
The Bulldogs, who came into the game with wins over Madelia, MVL and Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons but losses to St. Clair/Loyola and Windom Area, got in front early when the leadoff batter singled, advanced to second on a passed ball, stole third and scored on a single for a 1-0 lead going into the second.
That spark lasted until the third inning when Taylor Wolf, patient at the plate all night, walked her way to first, advanced on a Delaney Thompson hit up the middle and scored when Keira Schipper’s hit into short center field caromed off the shortstop’s glove to stalemate the game at a run apiece.
The Clippers took a lead they would never relinquish when they broke loose for six runs in the fourth. Taylor McCabe led the frame off with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, reached third on a Brooke Bosse infield single and scored on a Hadley Thompson ground out.
Wolf got on base when the second baseman dropped her grounder, strolled to second and scored when Kiya Sohn returned a pitch to right field for a two-RBI double. It was the sophomore’s first hit of the season.
Sohn advanced on a passed ball and scored when Delaney Thompson sent a dribbler down the right field line, avoided the tag and took second on the play.
Natalie Flowers got all the way to third when her hit to right field ricocheted off the fielder’s glove. Thompson crossed the plate on the error. Flowers scored when Schipper sent a grounder into right field for a 7-1 Clipper advantage.
The Clippers padded their lead with five more runs in the seventh. Hadley Thompson took a pitch for the team, Wolf got her third free pass, and Delaney Thompson reached first on an error to juice the bases. All three scored when Natalie Flowers slammed a double. Schipper followed up with a two-run homer for a 12-1 Clipper lead.
The Bulldogs managed another run in the bottom of the seventh when the leadoff batter doubled and scored on wild pitches, but, after surrendering her third walk in the frame, Delaney Thompson whiffed the next batter before the game ended when shortstop Kaitlyn Flowers gloved a line drive.
The Clippers out hit the Bulldogs 9-3. Schipper bashed a home and a single. Bosse and Natalie Flowers each hit a double and a single. Delaney Thompson had two singles. Sohn hit a double. Schipper and Natalie Flowers each batted in three runs while Sohn’s hit scored two, and the Thompson sisters each had one RBI.
Delaney Thompson went the distance in the circle. She allowed three hits and five walks while fanning eight.
The Clippers struck out seven times and took advantage of five walks and four JWP errors. The Clippers had a perfect evening in the field.
Today (Thursday), the Clippers head to Alden to take on the 2-5 Knights. In the Valley Conference, they already fell hard to the Clippers as well as to Madelia and MCW but beat GHEC/T/ML.
On Friday, the Clippers return home for a Youth Night game against Faribault Bethlehem Academy. Summer youth players will be recognized before the game
Above: Delaney Thompson sent a dribbler down the right field line and avoided the tag in the six-run fourth inning.
Sophomore Kiya Sohn’s first hit of the season was a two-RBI double.
Brooke Bosse lays down a bunt.
In the form of a whimsical stick horse, the Clippers keep a homerun “celly” (Gen Z slang for a method of celebrating a sports moment) in the dugout. They wielded it for the first time this year on Tuesday after Keira Schipper's two-run blast. Waving the stuffed unicorn is Hadley Thompson.