In their season opener on Saturday, the Clipper varsity girls fell hard to Nicollet 18-1 but upped their game when they lost 8-3 to top-ranked Randolph.
Held on the Cleveland field, both games were part of a three-team tournament.
“The first game was not us,” said head coach Dan Fredrickson. “We’re going to tear the page out of the book like it never happened, but we got some of the nerves out of the way. It was the first time we’ve seen live pitching in a meaningful high school game for two years for a lot of these girls.”
But the Clippers made a better effort against Randolph even though, with the score tied 2-2, the Rockets went to their ace pitcher in the third. In the prior game, she earned a win over Nicollet.
“She’s the best pitcher in Class A,” Fredrickson said. “They were the favorites to win state last year and are the overwhelming favorites to win this year.”
With the Clippers already down 13-0, their only run against the Raiders came in the third when Colie McCabe singled, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a Brianna Connor hit to left field.
On three hits, a walk and a Clipper error, the Raiders jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but the frame ended with a catch and a quick throw to first by centerfielder Macey Ziebarth for a double play.
Leading off in the bottom of the first, Ziebarth reached first on a third-strike passed ball. Next in the order, McCabe’s single sent Ziebarth to third, but it was strikeout, lineout and strikeout to end the inning.
Nicollet broke the game open in the second with 11 runs on eight hits and a trio of Clipper miscues. The Clippers held the Raiders scoreless the next two innings, but thy posted four more runs in the fifth on two hits, an error and a couple of walks.
The Clippers struck out 10 times and had four hits. McCabe was 3-3 with two singles and a double. Sierra McCabe pitched the first two innings. She gave up 14 hits and struck out none. Emily Kern took over for the last three innings. She struck out three, walked five and surrendered four hits.
“We were just shell-shocked,” Fredrickson said. “We had a lot of errors, some unforced errors, no sense of urgency.”
The Clippers got on board in the first against Randolph. Ziebarth bashed a triple over the left fielder’s extended glove, and McCabe walked. The Rockets attempted to throw out McCabe when she was attempting to steal second. Ziebarth headed home on the play, and everyone was safe. Later, McCabe scored on an Ashley Connor single.
Randolph tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the first on a double and intentional walk, a passed ball and an error. They took a 6-2 lead in the sixth after four hits and a couple of walks. Four hits led to another Rocket run in the fifth, and they put the finishing touches on the triumph with a run in the sixth on an error, passed balls and a single.
A highlight of the day for the Clippers came in the sixth, when, with McCabe on second after a double, Emily Kern bashed a homer over the left field fence.
The Clippers had four hits and fanned 13 times. Kern went the distance in the circle. She gave up 10 hits, struck out one and walked four.
“I felt like the second game we played with much more enthusiasm and with much more sense of purpose,” Fredrickson said. “Emily did a great job. We pitched inside, and she hit her spots. We gave up four unearned runs with two outs, but the girls made plays in the field. It felt like us. It felt like a really good effort. That’s a compete-for-the-conference effort as far as us. If we can bottle that, we will be just fine in our conference, and that’s a get-to-the-final-four-in-our-section type of effort.”
The Madelia game the Thursday before was canceled due to a wet field. The varsity girls travel to Faribault B.A. on Tuesday and to Janesville on Thursday.
Colie McCabe was 3-3 at the plate against Nicollet.
Shortstop Kaylee Karels looks sets up for a throw as a Nicollet runner goes by.