Delaney Thompson (above) admits she doesn’t have much of a poker face.
So, in order to avoid getting on the bad side of blue after an occasional teenage eyeroll, sunny or overcast, the Clippers’ ace pitcher conceals her peeps behind a pair of white Oakleys.
“I get frustrated sometimes,” explained the junior, “but even when I look in the dugout, I don’t want umpires to take it the wrong way. It’s just safer if I wear sunglasses.”
But, besides hiding her emotions when she doesn’t get a strike call she thinks she deserved, like blinders on a racehorse, the shades keep her focused straight ahead.
“Sometimes the excitement…they kind of control me, keep me in check.”
The sunspecs must be working. Behind Thompson’s arm and heavy hitting along with it, the Clippers have won all of her last seven starts since they lost a heartbreaker to state number-one USC in Wells on April 21, including a 9-2 victory in the first game against third-ranked-in the-state Martin County West in Welcome on April 30.
Thompson didn’t pitch the second half of a double header against the Mavericks, and the Clippers fell 8-2, but the split should give them a share of the conference title since the only Valley team they have left to play is Madelia: on the road today (Monday) and back at Cleveland on Tuesday. In a tournament in Caswell Park on April 25, the Clippers shut out the Blackhawks 10-0.
But instead of pitching, the game against Granada-Huntley-East-Chain/Truman/Martin Luther in Truman on Friday will be remembered for the Clippers’ batting as, all told, they racked up 30 hits in a 36-3 routing.
The Clippers were in front 15-0 after the first inning.
In the second of her three plate appearances in that frame, Thompson hit a home run. She also had a single. Kaitlyn Flowers and Addison Sandhurst each hit two singles and two doubles. Natalie Flowers hit a triple and three singles. Hadley Thompson hit a double and three singles. Kiya Sohn hit a double and a single. Keira Schipper and Taylor McCabe each hit three singles. Brooke Bosse and Anistyn Dauk each hit two singles.
The Clippers walked five times and struck out only once.
In her two innings in the circle, with no hits or walks, Delaney Thompson was perfect. She struck out four. In relief for two innings, Bosse gave up three hits for three earned runs. She walked two and struck out seven. The Jaguars committed six errors, four more than the Clippers.
Cleveland 17, Nicollet 0
Thompson only allowed two hits and struck out six when the host Clippers shut out Nicollet for the second time this season on Thursday.
Cleveland’s bats were also blistering in that game as the Clippers jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first inning, added five more runs in the second and totaled 15 hits. The game ended by 15-run rule after three and a half innings.
With a double and three singles, Kaitlyn Flowers went four for four. Her younger sister Natalie hit a double and two singles as did McCabe, and they both batted in four runners. Schipper had two singles. The Thompson siblings and Cecelia Gair each had a single. The Clippers walked four times and struck out only once.
Cleveland 10, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 1
Thompson struck out 11 and gave up four hits and six walks in seven innings pitched when the Clippers downed host WEM last Tuesday.
Again, the Clipper bats were fire, this time with 16 hits.
Delaney Thompson led off the game with a single into left field and scored when Kaitlyn Flowers bashed a homer over the center field fence for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
The Clippers added three more runs in the third when Flowers the elder led off with a walk, advanced to second when Schipper walked and moved to third on a Bosse single. All three runners crossed the plate on a Hadley Thompson single that put the Clippers up 5-0.
The Clippers added four more runs in the fifth. Bosse reached first on an error, advanced when Hadley Thompson hit into a fielder’s choice but beat the throw and scored on a McCabe double. Taylor Wolf hit into an error. Hadley Thompson scored from third on the play. McCabe and Wolf scored on a Kaitlyn Flowers single with an error tacked on for a 9-0 orange & black lead.
The Buccaneers’ only run, which came in the sixth, was unearned. It was the result of back-to-back errors. The Clippers’ final run came in the seventh when Delaney Thompson walked, advanced to second on a Kaitlyn Flowers hit and cashed in on a Schipper double.
Kaitlyn Flowers went four for four with a walk. McCabe was also four for four, including three singles and a double. Schipper hit a double and a single. Bosse and Hadley Thompson each hit two singles. Natalie Flowers and Delaney Thompson each added a single. The Clippers walked four times and struck out four times. Waterville made four errors, two more than the Clippers.
MCW 8, Cleveland 2 (game two of a double header)
After a pair of scoreless innings, the Mavericks, not happy with a loss in the earlier game, rallied for six runs in the third inning and never looked back.
“We went in the first game and were very confident and came out hot,” Delaney Thompson said. “I don’t know what came over us, but in the second game we were kind of down and didn’t do that well.”
MCW took advantage of a double, five singles and a walk for a 6-0 advantage.
The Mavericks added insurance runs in each the fifth and sixth innings. The run in the sixth was the result of three singles while the run in the sixth was the consequence of a single and a double.
The Clippers’ two runs came in the fifth. Kaitlyn Flowers walked and advanced to third when her sister doubled. Both scored after Schipper hit into an error.
The Mavericks outhit the Clippers 15-6. Natalie Flowers had a double and a single. Schipper hit a pair of singles. Bosse and Delany Thompson also both hit a single. The Clippers put the ball in play though, striking out four times and walking only once. Each team had one error.
Bosse went all seven innings. All runs were earned. She stuck out four and walked two. The Clippers left six on base while the Mavericks stranded nine.
Cleveland 9, MCW 2, game one of a double header
Natalie Flowers drove in five runs on three hits to lead the Clippers. The eighth grader doubled in the fifth inning, scoring three runs, and singled in the fourth, scoring two.
Delaney Thompson struck out 10 batters in the outing. The starter also allowed four hits and two runs over seven innings while walking eight.
But the game didn’t start well for the Clippers as the first batter Thompson faced sent a hit over the fence. Later in the inning, she gave up a walk. The runner stole second and scored on a single for a 2-0 Maverick lead.
But it was all Clippers the rest of the way, starting in the third.
The Flowers girls hit back-to-back singles. With two outs, Bosse walked. All runners advanced on a wild pitch for the first Clipper run. Natalie Flowers and Bosse scored on a Hadley Thompson single. The younger Thompson reached second on the play, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a McCabe base hit to put the Clippers in front 4-2.
Delaney Thompson led off the fourth with a walk, advanced on a Kaitlyn Flower double, and both scored on a Natalie Flowers single.
The Clippers posted their final three runs in the fifth. After a Taylor McCabe single, Wolf reached first on a fielder’s choice and advanced on a Delaney Thompson single. All the runners came home when Natalie Flowers bashed a double to deep left field.
Meanwhile, Delaney Thompson and company took care of business on defense.
The Clippers collected 14 hits. The Flower power sibs each collected a double and two singles. Delaney Thompson had a double and a single. McCabe hit three singles. Schipper had two singles. Hadley Thompson had one single. The Clippers struck out 10 times and walked three times.
The Clippers left nine on base while the Mavericks marooned 13 runners.
Gametime in Madelia tomorrow is 3:45.
Shortstop Kaitlyn Flowers leans for a catch during the Nicollet game.
Anistyn Dauk hit a pair of singles against the Jaguars.
Addison Sandhurst hit two singles and two doubles in Truman.
Kaitlyn Flowers puts the barrel on the ball during the game against GHEC/T/ML.
Natalie Flowers focuses on an incoming Jaguar pitch.
The Clippers were all smiles after their game in Truman.