Clintonville’s American Legion baseball team extended its dominant run at the Clipper Invitational this past weekend, winning all four of their games in the round-robin tournament.
The tournament victory was Clintonville’s seventh in the last eight years. New London won the tournament in 2012.
Clintonville 3, Bonduel 1
Jansen VanDaalwyk pitched a gem as the Diamond Cats cruised to a 3-1 victory that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates.
The win secured the tournament championship for Clintonville.
VanDaalwyk threw an 84-pitch complete game, scattering four hits while walking one batter and striking out seven hitters, allowing no earned runs.
Turner Doornink had two hits and VanDaalwyk helped his own cause with a base hit and two RBIs. Zac Riemer added a double.
Clintonville put two runs on the board in the first inning and added an insurance run in the fifth. Bonduel didn’t score until the top of the seventh, but Clintonville’s defense tightened up to close out the game before Bonduel could add any more runs.
Clintonville 5, New London 4 (8 inn.)
An exciting game between the host Clippers and defending champion Diamond Cats went to extra innings and featured great pitching and timely hitting.
Both teams pitched their aces, as Doornink took the hill for Clintonville and Luke Listle threw for New London.
New London got on the board with three runs in the second inning, taking advantage of two walks, an error and a double by Jake Pinch.
Clintonville answered with three runs in the bottom of the third, using a walk, three hits and a fielder’s choice to tie the game.
Pitching and defense tightened up after the third inning, leaving the score tied at 3-3 at the end of the seventh inning, forcing extra innings.
New London’s Tylan Brown and Pinch set up Tommy Thurber, who drove in the go-ahead run with a single, in the top of the eighth.
With the game on the line in the bottom half of the inning, Clintonville’s Parker Mindel led off with a base hit. VanDaalwyk followed with a single and Nick Hogen laid down a sacrifice bunt. New London read the play perfectly, throwing Mindel out at third base. After the out was recorded, VanDaalwyk snuck to third base as the Clippers left the bag uncovered and Hogen advanced to second.
Damon Lorge followed with a walk to load the bases and set the table for Jaden Doornink, who ripped a walk-off, two-run single to give Clintonville a hard-fought victory.
Hogen earned the win on the mound, throwing two innings while allowing four hits, one walk and one earned run while striking out one. Tyler Jagiello took the loss, allowing two hits, one walk and two earned runs.
Turner Doornink threw six innings for Clintonville, allowing four hits and three runs (none earned) while walking four and striking out eight. Listle threw four innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs and one walk while striking out seven.
Turner Doornink led Clintonville’s offense with three hits and two RBIs, while VanDaalwyk had two hits and Jaden Doornink added two hits and two RBIs. Riemer added a double for Clintonville.
Pinch had three hits, including two doubles, to lead New London’s offense. Joe Schuster added two hits.
Clintonville 7, Marion/Tigerton 0
The Diamond Cats picked up their second win of the tournament by forfeit July 12, as Marion/Tigerton could not field a team.
Clintonville 7, Manawa 4
The Diamond Cats scored three runs in the first inning, three in the second and one in the third to jump out to a commanding lead in the first game of the tournament July 10.
Clintonville’s defense held strong to prevent a comeback by Manawa.
The Diamond Cat offense was led by VanDaalwyk, who had three hits and four RBIs. Jake Van Allen, Hunter Vollmer, Turner Doornink and Lorge had one hit each.
Mindel pitched six innings, striking out six and walking one while allowing four hits and three runs (one earned) to earn the win on the mound. Hogen pitched one inning of relief and notched one strikeout.
Casey Johnson pitched for Manawa and took the loss, throwing four innings while striking out one, walking five, allowing seven hits and giving up seven runs (five earned).
Johnson led his team at the plate, hitting a solo home run to right field. Brandon Bartel, Adam Langman and Sam Koehn added one hit.
In other action, the Clippers lost to Bonduel 1-0, but beat Marion/Tigerton 12-7 and Manawa 11-1 to take second place.