It wasn’t a super huge monkey perched on the varsity softball girls' collective backs as they pulled into St. Clair on Monday...not baboon sized at least.
But with a 4-0 opening—unusual for the Clippers—they felt pressure to get a victory.
And they did, easily beating St. Clair/Loyola 17-4.
“It was a tough start to the season with some tough teams, but we got a win, and now I hope we can build on that,” said coach Mike Barten.
Small-ball was a go-to for the Clippers, and they were aggressive on the base trails. That led to nine runs in the third inning, putting the game out of reach early for a Cyclone/Crusader team with only one senior on the field.
“It was nice to get some runners on base so we could put pressure on their defense,” Barten said. “Not having practiced very much, I thought we did a great job with our base running."
While the temperature started in the lower 40s and kept dropping throughout the seven innings, Barten said the cold and wind that accompanied it didn’t bother the Clippers that much.
“We haven’t had many good days this spring, so I think we’re getting used to it. The girls are pretty tough, and they don’t bring it up at all.”
With one out in the first, Sophie Shouler bunted a single and stole a pair of bases, but the next two batters flew out to infielders, and the junior speedster was marooned 60 feet from home plate.
But the Clippers scored a run in the second when Laci Hollerich got all the way to second on an error, swiped third and scored on a Harley Connor sacrifice bunt.
The Clippers scored nine runs in the third to take a commanding lead. Top-of-the-order Cassandra Connor led off the inning with a single up the middle. Shouler snuck a hit between third and the shortstop, and Emily Kern batted them both in with a double to the left-field fence.
Ashley Connor found a vacant chunk of real estate in right field to score Ava Hahn, who was running for Kern.
Hollerich got on board when the first baseman pulled her foot on a putout attempt from third. Harley Connor reached first on a free pass to pack the bases. Ashley Connor scored from third on a stray pitch, and Grayce Kortuem walked to once again load the deck.
Emma Sweere and Kaylee Karels hit into fielder’s choices for two outs at the plate, but back up in the inning, Cassandra Connor kept the rally going when she drove a single down the left field line to score Kortuem and Sweere. Shouler poked a double to the left field fence for two RBI’s, Kern got hit by a pitch, and Shouler scored on a pick-off attempt that went askew.
With the Clippers in front 10-1, the frame finally ended on a ground out.
The Cyclones, who had scored a run in the second on a hit batter, a single and a passed ball, scored again in the third on a pair of hits and an error.
After a scoreless fourth, Cassandra Connor airmailed a fastball over the left-field fence in the fifth. She knew when the ball left her bat it would be her second varsity career home run.
“It felt so good,” said the sophomore slugger.
On an error, a walk and a Karels two-RBI single, the Clippers posted two more runs in the sixth to go up 13-2, and it looked like they could get out of the cold early, but the Cyclones kept themselves alive by taking advantage of a couple of Clipper errors and a hit to score two runs.
In the seventh, Shouler led off with a walk, stole second and scored on passed balls. Kern singled, and Hollerich bunted a single that brought Kern across the plate. After Harley Connor singled, Hollerich crossed the plate on a passed ball, and Sweere’s base hit scored Harley Connor.
The Clippers totaled a baker’s dozen hits. Cassandra Connor hit two singles and a homer. Shouler and Kern each had two singles and a double. Harley Connor had two singles. Ashley Connor, Hollerich, Sweere and Karels each had a single. The Clippers struck out five times.
Going the distance in the circle, Kern permitted six hits and two walks. She struck out five and beaned one. She said the cold and wind didn’t bother her once she got warmed up, and she was happy to get the W.
“My hand gets numb, and it’s hard to throw, but after a while, I forget about it. I had my handwarmer in my pockets, so I was fine. It was exciting to get the win after all our losses.”
Behind Kern, the Clippers had four errors. They twisted a double play when Shouler caught a fly at short and relayed it to Kortuem at first to catch the runner off base. Sweere (above) made a diving catch in left field for the third out in the fourth.
To avoid forecasted rain, Friday’s home game against Lester Prairie was moved to today (Thursday).
Emily Kern lays down a bunt.
Lexi Waldron sprints to a hit to right field.
Laci Hollerich tags a runner getting back to third as shortstop Sophie Shouler watches. The runner touched the bag in time.
Sophie Shouler squares for a bunt.
Catcher Harley Connor squeezes a pop fly in foul territory.
Cassandra Connor high fives coach Mike Barten as she rounds third on her home-run trip.
Cassandra Connor was greeted by the Clippers as she stepped on home plate after her round trip.