For Tri-City United, the Cleveland baseball field was an amusement park, and the bases were a merry-go-round as they rolled over the Legion Post 207 22-0 in U20 to U19 baseball action on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Clipper bats didn’t provide much for thrills. Derek Miller’s single in the fifth was their only hit. They struck out five times.
The Titans swung for 10 singles, five doubles and one triple.
Kale Kelley started out on the hill. He gave up four hits and two walks while striking out two. Taking over in the second, Kyle Connor allowed five hits and two walks in two innings. From there, Colin Krenik threw for an inning and a third. He surrendered two hits and four walks while striking out two. Bode Bartell tossed the last two thirds of an inning. He permitted five hits and one walk while fanning one.
In the field, the Clippers juggled the ball for six errors. The Titans only clowned around once.
The Clippers were coming off a 12-4 loss to Waterville-Elysian-Morristown the Thursday before in Waterville.
The Bucs scored three runs in the third and three more in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead. After scoring a run in the sixth, they added five more in the sixth.
The Clippers posted two runs in the fourth. Connor led off with a single, Krenik followed up with a single. Both advanced on passed balls, and Connor scored on a Gabe Sullivan line drive into right field. Krenik scored on an errant pitch.
They added two more in the fifth, all unearned. Leading off, Bartell reached first on an infield error. Kacyn Zuehlke did the same, and Nathan Seeman walked to fill the bases. Bartell and Zuehlke scored when Sullivan hit into an error.
The Clippers fanned a dozen times and totaled four hits. Kelley singled in the second.
Pitching the first five innings, Kelley granted four hits and four walks while striking out five. Krenik started out the sixth and, facing three batters, gave up one hit and two walks. Connor took over and allowed three hits.
Coached by Alec Rogers and Nick Dylla, the Clippers host Le Sueur-Henderson tomorrow (June 15).
Above: In at shortstop, Caleb Connor leaps up to field a putout throw to second.
Kyle Connor winds up for a pitch against TCU.
Shortstop Nathan Seeman sets to field a ball as a TCU runner goes by.
Derek Miller poises to field a grounder to second.
Bode Bartell didn’t play baseball this spring, but the Clipper coaches are glad to have him out on the field this summer. Besides playing outfield, he got some practice on the mound against TCU.
The only member of the class of 2022 young enough to play, Colin Krenik is the veteran on the team. He and many of his classmates also play for the Cleveland Spiders.