Baseball is a mirage.
One day, it entices you with the illusion of control and predictability. The next, it breaks your heart in random ways, sometimes decisively and other times by a single swing, one ridiculous bounce or an untimely freak pitch.
Baseball is a paradox too. A team requires nine, but players stand alone. A hit over the fence results in a glorious 360-foot journey with a celebratory reception at the end. But drop a fly or watch a strike three, and it’s a long, lonely, humbling trip to the dugout…often with lots of time to dwell on a blunder before a getting another chance.
And baseball is fundamentally built on failure. Being unsuccessful 60 percent of the time at the plate makes you an All-Conference player.
So, for the varsity Clippers, those who had the fortitude to stick with the most mentally challenging of the major sports, it was a topsy-turvy week as, after upsetting Springfield on Thursday, their season ended abruptly on Saturday when they fell to Mankato Loyola 9-4 in Sleepy Eye.
“Loyola is really good. Our whole section is really good,” said head coach Walker Froehling. “There are a lot of teams that are just tough to beat, and I think we’re one of those teams. I don’t think anyone looks at us and says ‘we’re going to have a cakewalk today.’ I know (Loyola coach) Sam (Carlson) really well, and he knew they would be in for a battle. Caleb (Connor) threw well. Jack (Mons) threw well too. Loyola just put the bat on the ball and found a few gaps and we didn’t find them today, and that’s how baseball goes sometimes.”
With three runs in the first and one more in the third, the Clippers held the lead for five and a half innings, but trailing 4-3, the Crusaders, who beat the Clippers twice during the regular season—the second time by just a run—capitalized on miscues and timely hits to post three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
Tony Hollerich led the game off with a walk. Miles Tomaszewski singled, and Connor walked to load the bases. Hollerich scored on an Alex Kortuem groundout. With two outs, courtesy runners Urijah Hoheisel and Pierce Lyons came home after the shortstop misfired a Kiptyn Coon grounder.
Loyola got two runs back in the first, both unearned, after a walk and a pair of infield errors.
Tomaszewski led off the third with a walk. Kortuem walked too, and Braeden Smith hit a single to load the bases. Tomaszewski scored when Coon hit into a fielder’s choice before a strike out and a groundout ended the inning.
It was all Crusaders from there with one run in the third on a two-out triple with an infield error on the throw to the plate tacked on. Two innings later, they capitalized on a double, a hit batter and a walk to load the bases and then came up with a two-RBI single followed by an RBI double for a 6-4 lead.
In the sixth, Loyola took advantage of an infield error, a sacrifice bunt, a single and a sacrifice fly for one run and back-to-back walks and a single for two more for a comfortable 9-4 lead.
The Clippers only managed three hits, two of them, a double and a single, came off the bat of Tomaszewski. Smith added a single.
The Clippers struck out seven times, walked six times, got beaned once and left eight on base. They erred five times, three more than Loyola. Only two Clipper runs and three Loyola runs were earned.
Connor spent the first four innings on the rubber. He allowed three hits, two walks and hit one batter while striking out four and leaving two on base. Five runs scored on his watch, but just two of them earned. Mons tossed the last two innings. He allowed four hits and three walks for four runs, just one of them earned. He struck out two and left three on base.
The Clippers end their season with a 14-9 record.
“I thought the kids had a really good year,” Froehling said. “I think it’s going to sting for all of them, but being successful is a contagious thing, and winning is a contagious thing. You see that at a lot of sports of Cleveland. But it makes it tough to lose too because they’re not as used to it.”
Loyola will now take on New Ulm Cathedral, who beat Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 3-1 Saturday. The winner of that will take on Sleepy Eye, which lost 3-0 to Madelia in the semi-final to determine the winner of the elimination bracket, which takes on Madelia in the section championship. If Madelia loses, it will play a second game with the opponent to determine who advances to the state tournament.
Above: Jack Mons reaches up to catch a putout throw to second.
Caleb Connor started on the hill.
Tony Hollerich took charge in short left field to compete a catch.
Alex Kortuem reaches for a throw to second.
After a stint behind the plate when regular catcher Caleb Connor was on the mound, Miles Tomaszewski headed over to third.
The loss was especially tough because the Clippers knew they had the capacity for a victory.