Clear Lake baseball team moves record to 16-13

(Above) Clear Lake shortstop Carson Toebe makes a throw to first base getting an out for the Lions.  Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

by Marianne Gasaway

The Clear Lake baseball team is set to begin post-season play Friday night in Algona.  Last week the Lions posted wins against conference foes Hampton-Dumont-CAL and Iowa Falls-Alden, but then dropped non-conference outings with Decorah and Waverly-Shell Rock, putting their record at 16-13 overall.  The Lions were scheduled to host Mason City in their final game of the regular season Tuesday, July 13.  They will take on Algona in Friday’s Sub-State game.  The Lions are the number five seed in the Sub-State, while Algona is number four.  The winner advance to meet either number one seed Webster City or Eagle Grove, the eighth seed, in a game set for 7 p.m. Monday, July 19 at a location to be determined.

CL 5, H-D 4

A walk-off single propelled Clear Lake to a decisive, dramatic victory over Hampton-Dumont-CAL Tuesday night, July 6.  

The game was tied at 4-4 with Clear Lake batting in the bottom of the eighth when Carson Toebe singled on the first pitch of his at-bat, scoring a run.

The Lions built a four-run lead in the sixth inning and then held off the Bulldogs’ charge.  Hampton scored four runs in the failed comeback on a double, error, walk and passed ball.

Clear Lake’s big sixth inning got started with walks to Tyres Green-Harrington and Austin Warnke.  With two outs Toebe doubled on a fly ball to center field, scoring both the runners.  The inning was punctuated by an Eric Ritter home run which brought Warnke in and made the score 4-0 in Clear Lake’s favor.

In the top of the seventh the Bulldogs tied things up with a lead-off single.  The runner scored on a double.  After the Lions got their first out in the inning a hard-hit ground ball handcuffed shortstop Carson Toebe and a second run scored.  With two outs pitcher Jett Neuberger began to struggle.  A single was sandwiched between two walks and the bases were loaded. After runs scored on a passed ball and wild pitch, making the score 4-4, Coach AJ Feuerbach elected to bring in Andrew Formanek to relieve Neuberger.  The right-hander was able to stop the bleeding and the game went to extra innings.

Formanek got the win, pitching one and one-third innings, allowing no runs on no hits, striking out one and walking none. Neuberger gave up four runs in six and two-thirds innings of work.  He struck out 10.

Caden Jones and Toebe each had multiple hits for the Lions.  Jones led the team with three hits in four at-bats.

CL 3, IF-A 2

The Lions pushed their win streak to three Thursday with a 3-2 victory over Iowa Falls-Alden.

The Lions had just four hits in the game, but managed to score single runs in the second, third and fourth innings.

In the second, Eric Ritter started things ff with a line drive single to centerfield.  His courtesy runner, Zeke Nelson, raced to third on a ground our hit by Andrew Formanek and scored when Ben Loge walked with the bases loaded.

More walks and errors contributed to the run in the third inning.  Austin Warnke hit a ground ball to start the inning and reached on an error.  After a walk to Andrew Crane, another sharp hit by Ritter scored Warnke.

Jack Crane’s lead-off tripe in the fourth set up the Lions’ winning run.  Crane came home on a ground ball hit by Carson Toebe.

Ritter pitched the Lion victory.  The right-hander went six and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs on eight his and striking out six.  Formanek threw one-third of an inning in relief.  He recorded the last out to earn a save.

Jack Crane led the Lions in offense with two hits in his two at-bats.  Caden Jones and Ritter were the only other Lions to get a hit.

Decorah 12, CL 1 (5)

Clear Lake fell behind early and couldn’t come back in a 12-1 loss to Decorah Thursday, July 8.  

The Vikings took the lead on a wild pitch in the first inning and combined Lion miscues with a high-powered offense.  Lion pitching gave up 10 hits and two walks.

Carson Toebe started the game, but went out after one and two-thirds innings of work.  He gave up four runs on three hits and had one strikeout and one walk.  Andrew Theiss came in to throw the remainder and gave up eight runs on seven hits and a walk.

Andrew Formanek went two-for-two at the plate to lead the Lions in hits.  Toebe provided Clear Lake’s only other hit.

Clear Lake’s only run came in the fourth when Andrew Crane walked to start the inning, advanced to third on a Formanek single, and scored when Austin Warnke lifted a sacrifice fly to right field.  

W-SR 10, CL 6

Clear Lake’s offense bounced back against Waverly-Shell Rock Friday night, but the Go-Hawks pulled away late for a 10-6 victory.

The game was tied at 6-6 with W-SR batting in the top of the seventh when a walk scored a go-ahead run.  The Go-Hawks plated four runs in the final frame and retired the Lions one, two, three in 

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the bottom of the inning for the non-conference win.

The visitor got on the scoreboard first when a fielder’s choice brought in a run.  They added another in the third, but the Lions took the lead in the bottom of the inning with five.  The big inning began with a walk to Carson Toebe.  He advanced to third when the Go-Hawks muffed a ground ball hit by Andrew Crane.  A walk by Eric Ritter loaded the bases.  Two wild pitches scored Toebe and Crane before Austin Warnke and Jack Crane reached base on walks.   PJ Feuerbach singled on a ground ball to the pitcher and Warnke and Ritter both came home on errors.   A sacrifice fly by Joe Faber was all Crane needed to score and give the Lions a 6-3 lead after four.

But it was all Go-Hawks after that.  They scored three in the fifth and four in the seventh for the 10-6 win.

The Lions collected four hits in the contest, compared to 10 for W-SR.

Faber took the loss for the lions.  The pitcher lasted six innings, allowing eight hits and eight runs while striking out two.

Jett Neubürger, Ritter, Feuerbachand Warnke each collected one hit for the Lions.

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