Tuesday, July 15, 2025
CLIFTON — The Concordia Blues American Legion team swept Clifton-Clyde in a doubleheader, 17-7 and 9-8.
The Blues’ offense came out of the gates on fire, with Drake Blochlinger picking up a lead-off single on one pitch, Rush LeDuc and Carter Graham scored after LeDuc got on base with a single, and Graham on a fielder’s choice. Ayden Argo and Kale Schroeder also had base hits, and Caleb Hansen was walked. Clifton-Clyde tallied only two walks in the inning.
Another pair of runs was scored by the Blues in the top of the second after Braytin Hake and Peyton Breese got on base from back-to-back singles and were brought in by Blochlinger and LeDuc. Clifton-Clyde got on the board with three runs to start the bottom of the second, with Wyatt Weiche, Gage LeClair, and Ayden Oestreich crossing home plate.
After only managing a walk for Caleb Hansen in the top of the third, Clifton-Clyde tied the game with a run by Michael Peterson on three walks and a dropped third strike.
The Blues got back on track with four runs in the fourth, with Hake, Breese, Blochlinger, and Graham all scoring. Clifton-Clyde kept it close with three runs of its own to make it a one-run game, with Joseph Fahey, Easton Czapanskiy and Trenton Benne scoring for the Eagles.
In the top of the fifth, the Blues slammed the door shut behind them, scoring nine runs and taking game one 17-7.
The Blues continued the momentum into game two, with the Blues scoring three runs to open the game, with Blochlinger, Argo, and Chane Parker scoring. Clifton-Clyde’s offense kept up in the bottom of the first inning, scoring two runs with Czapanskiy and Benne getting C.C. on the board. Hake, Breese, Blochlinger, and Parker each scored a run in the second to keep the pressure on. Clifton-Clyde managed to get a pair of runs from James Jarvis and Isiah Jackson to make it a 7-4 game.
Hake got on base on an error in the third to lead off the Blues and would get the lone score of the inning, as the Blues’ defense kept C.C. off the board. Parker led off in the fourth inning and would score a crucial run. In the bottom of the inning, Clifton-Clyde brought in four runs and had a runner on third, before a groundout to shortstop ended the game 9-7.
Hake scored five runs on one hit and three walks. Blochlinger had four runs scored on three hits and two walks. Parker had four runs scored on three hits, including a home run in game two, and two walks. Breese had four runs scored on two hits, including a home run in game one, with two walks.
