Cleveland 16, visiting Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman Martin Luther 15 on Tuesday was a game of attrition.
The Clippers, battling back twice with six runs in the sixth and seven in the seventh, never led until they walked off the field with a W after the Jaguars made a pitching change that didn’t go well.
“Like I said on Saturday after the second game, we were really resilient,” said head coach Walker Froehling. “Guys got on base and figured out what to do. We didn't play our best defensively, but we didn’t hang our heads. We just came in and tried to get the work done, and we did it.”
With the Clippers trailing 15-9 going into the seventh, after a fly out, Caleb Connor and Alex Kortuem walked. Braeden Smith came through with a double to score Kortuem, and Kiptyn Coon singled on a hard-hit ball to left field for two RBIs, and the Clippers narrowed their deficit to three.
Nolan Schaak walked, and, after a strikeout, Jack Mons walked to load the bases.
Back at the top of the order, Tony Hollerich walked, and Coon strolled home. Urijah Hoheisel, running for catcher Schlaak, scored on a passed ball to pull the Clippers within a run, 15-14. Miles Tomaszewski walked to again load the bases.
The Jaguars, who always seem to challenge the Clippers and beat them in Truman 4-2 back on April 14, made a pitching change, but two pitches later, the Clippers won. With Connor back at the plate, Mons scored on a wild pitch to deadlock the 15-15, and Hollerich scored on a passed ball for the Clipper victory.
Capitalizing on two singles, a passed ball, a walk and a fielder’s choice, the Jagas took a 2-0 lead in the first.
They added another run in the third after a single and back-to-back infield errors and a steal of home.
The Clippers showed signs of life in the third when they scored three runs to stalemate the game 3-3. After Hollerich led the inning off with a single, the Clippers pulled within a run when Tomaszewski hit his third home run of the season. After Kortuem doubled, Smith walked. Kortuem got caught trying to snatch third, but Smith advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Coon single.
But the Jaguars quickly took the lead when they scored a run in the fourth on a single, another Clipper infield error and a sacrifice fly.
Leading 4-3, the Jaguars rallied for six runs in the sixth when they loaded the bases after a walk and two hit batters loaded the bases with one run coming in after another walk, two more scoring on a single and three more runs scoring on a home run.
But in the bottom of the sixth, the Clippers also scored six runs. Hollerich doubled and scored on a error during a Tomaszewski single. With two outs, Kortuem hit an RBI double. Smith singled, and Kortuem scored on an outfield error while Smith reached third on the play. Coon singled to score Smith. Schlaak and Pierce Lyons then walked. After Mons sent a grounder into left field, Hoheisel, running for Schlaak, scored on an error as did Coon to pull the Clippers within a run, 10-9.
The Jaguars piled on five more runs in the seventh. Two walks and a sacrifice bunt loaded the bases. Two runs scored on a double. Another run scored on a single and after a walk, the Clippers went in front 15-9 on a single before the Clippers took advantage of the Jag’s stretched pitching corps in the seventh.
Coon was three for five at the plate with three singles and four RBIs. Smith hit two singles and a double and batted in one run. Tomaszewski had a home and a single and batted in two runs. Hollerich had a double and a single. Kortuem had two doubles. Schlaak had two singles and walked twice. Mons and Connor each had a single. The Clippers walked a dozen times, with Connor accounting for a third of them. They struck out four times.
Kortuem started on the hill and lasted five innings. He gave up four hits, three walks and two earned runs while striking out nine. Connor pitched an inning and a third. He allowed five hits, five walks and 11 earned runs while striking out three. Coon faced three batters in the seventh. He allowed one hit, no walks and no runs while striking out one. The
The Clippers stranded 10 runners, three fewer than the Clippers.
GHEC/T/ML suffered seven errors, three more than the Clippers.
With the win, the Clippers and GHEC/T/ML, both with 5-5 records, tie for third place in the Valley Conference. Both with 9-1 records, Loyola and Madelia tied for first.
Loyola 7, Cleveland 6
The Thursday before Saturday’s “Step up to the plate for Aiden,” series, the Clippers, completing a lightning-postponed game, fell to visiting Mankato Loyola 7-6 despite out-hitting the Crusaders eight to six.
After a scoreless sixth, the Crusaders pushed a run across the plate on a single and a passed ball, a fielder’s choice where the Clippers missed the tag at third and another fielder’s choice where the Clippers didn’t make the play at home.
The Clippers were in the heart of their order in the top of the seventh, but after a groundout and a Connor single, a pair of strikeouts ended the game.
The first four innings took place on April 23. The Crusaders took a 3-0 lead in the first when the leadoff batter singled, advanced to second on a groundout, stole third and scored on the play on an overthrow. After the runner stole second, two more runs scored on back-to-back singles.
The Clippers scored a pair of runs in the second when Kortuem led off with a single, Smith doubled and both scored on a Coon single.
They added four more runs in the third when Lyons and Tomaszewski hit back-to-back singles. Connor hit into an error and Lyons cored on the play. Smith reached first on a dropped third strike, and Connor and Tomaszewski scored when the throw-out attempt went astray. Smith scored on a Coon double for a 6-3 Clipper lead
But on a walk, an infield error, and RBI single and two runs walked in, the Crusaders tied the game 6-6 in the fourth.
Coon hit a double and a single and batted in three runs. Conor had two singles. Smith hit a double, and Tomaszewski, Lyons and Kortuem all had singles. The Clippers walked twice, struck out 10 times and abandoned 10 on base.
Kortuem pitched the first two innings and was back on the mound after the hiatus for the last three. He allowed five hits and three walks for three earned runs while striking out six. Tomaszewski threw innings three and four. He gave up one hit and four walks for two earned runs while striking out four. The Crusaders left seven on base.
Cleveland committed two errors, one fewer than Loyola.
The Clippers have a busy rest of the week to close out their regular season. Tonight they host Heron Lake-Okabena while tomorrow they head to Froehling’s hometown of St. James to take on Triton at 1:00 pm and then, St. James at 3:00. The latter will be a father-vs-son coaching duel.
Above: Second baseman Jack Mons reaches out to catch a pickoff attempt at second during the game against GHEC/T/ML.
Before the GHEC/T/ML game, the Clippers recognized their three seniors: Killian Kunkel, Hollis Knish and Alex Kortuem. Here they pose with parents.
After the GHEC/T/ML game, the players recognized their parents on Parents' Night.
Jack Mons twists on a pitch during the first part of the game against Loyola.
Rain started to fall heavily when Tony Hollerich was up to bat, and lightning postponed the Loyola game soon after.
Third baseman Kiptyn Coon sets up to field a grounder during the second part of the game against Loyola.
Second baseman Carson Lyons leaps to catch a throw as a Loyola runner advances to second.