Strong against Highway 99 rival Nicollet, the Clipper baseball team picked up its first win of the season on Saturday—15-5—in their own round-robin tournament before falling 7-0 to baseball powerhouse Randolph later in the day.
Overall, it was a day to work on pitching mechanics, said head coach Mike Krenik.
“We have our pitchers on IPads watching their own videos, so they can see what they are doing, but it’s tough to break habits, but they know what they are doing wrong, and they are figuring out if they do the small things correctly, they will succeed.”
Nicollet got things started in the first inning on an error and a couple of hits. The first run came in on a balk and the second on a ground out for a 2-0 Raider advantage.
Cleveland knotted the game up at two in the bottom of the first inning, when Colin Krenik hit a one-out single. Krenik stole second and third and scored when Tanyon Hoheisel hit a grounder that the second baseman couldn’t handle.
Hoheisel went on to steal second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on the play.
The Clippers pulled away and kept the lead for the rest of the game in the second. Leading off, Kyle Connor got a free pass. Blake Lyons doubled, and Ethan Fuller singled for the RBI.
With two outs, Connor walked again in the third. Alex Garcia strolled too, and both scored on a Lyons triple. Lyons crossed the plate when Fuller hit into an error.
Back to the top of the order, Carter Dylla walked and stole second. Fuller scored on passed balls, and Dylla came home on an error for an 8-0 Clipper advantage.
The Raiders posted two runs in the fourth and one run in the fifth, but the Clippers kept the pressure on with four runs in the fifth and three more in the six to effect the 10-run rule for a 15-5 triumph.
Krenik led the victory on the hill. The lefty allowed six hits and four runs over four innings, striking out three and walking zero.
“Early on his mechanics were off, but once he started firing the strike zone and got command, he got more efficient,” said coach Krenik. “I told him to just keep on working on what we’ve been doing upstairs in the gym.”
Coming in from shortstop (above), Dylla threw two innings in relief out of the bullpen. He gave up two hits, also walked none and struck out three.
“It’s hard when come in from shortstop because it’s a short-arm throw to tell yourself you have to get back with your arm,” said coach Krenik.
Lyons headed the hit club with a double, a single and a triple. Krenik scattered a trio of singles. Fuller, Hoheisel, Lucas Walechka and Gabe Sullivan each had a single. The Clippers committed four errors.
Against Randolph, the Rockets took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back for a 7-0 shutout.
"They play in a tough section with a lot of private schools but got to state last year," said coach Krenik. "That is a very well-disciplined team and coached very well. They have a good little-league program. If you look at their starting line, there are not many holes at all, defensively and offensively."
The Clippers didn’t muster a hit but managed to get on base five times. Sullivan walked twice. Connor walked and also reached first on a third-strike passed ball. Jonathan Biehn got hit by a pitch.
Walechka started the game on the mound for the Clippers and went four innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, striking out three and walking zero. Hoheisel threw one inning in relief. He didn’t give up a hit, walked two and struck out none.
The Clippers had four errors, but the head coach pointed to the play of Colin Krenik, who made half a dozen nice catches in centerfield field.
“The score was 7-0, but I thought our kids played very well. They weren’t intimidated, and that’s the best we’ve done against a team like that in a long time."
Krenik was also pleased to get some younger players in the lineup.
"We got to play some ninth graders who we haven’t been able to see in game situations. We’re finding out who can play.”
The Clippers' game against Mankato Loyola for Tuesday has been postponed. They are scheduled to travel to St. Clair on Friday.
Tanyon Hoheisel threw one inning against Randolph.