CLINTON, Wis. — Ashley Theisen’s pitching prowess has turned Clinton’s Cougars into a team no one in the Rock Valley Conference can sleep on anymore.
Wednesday’s 20-strikeout performance in a 2-0 victory over Evansville last Wednesday illustrated what she’s capable of.
Friday, though, she needed little more help than she received in a 5-3 loss to visiting Edgerton.
“You have to make plays,” Clinton head coach Emili Bell said. “Look at Edgerton. They made some fantastic catches on the run. If we want to take that next step that is what has to happen. They’re giving us outs and we’re not taking them.”
Theisen wasn’t looking for excuses or pointing fingers. She kept her poise in the pitcher’s circle and postgame.
“It’s experience,” she explained for her composure. “I’ve been on the team for three years. I know if I stay out of my own head my pitchers are going to be that much better. It’s about the whole mental game, confidence and just being smart.
“It didn’t happen for us tonight. Hopefully next time we’ll be a little bit cleaner in the field and hit the ball a little better when we need to.”
The problem has been consistency, Bell said.
“There are games we go out and hit and games we go out and play much better defensively,” the coach said. “We’re a little hit or miss. We beat Turner and we beat Monroe the other day. We beat Evansville, but that was with Ashleys pitching and supplying all the offense with a two-run homer. Playoffs are in a week and our bats have to come around.”
Friday’s game was a makeup game and the visiting Crimson Tide were the home team on the scoreboard. In the bottom of the first, Marti Rebman singled, stole second and scored on a single by Talim Kjendlie. After Kjendlie moved up on a groundout, she scored when the center fielder dropped a pop fly by Caitlyn Phillips.
Theisen cut the deficit in half when she led off the fourth inning with a long home run to left center.
“I’m not trying to hit home runs,” said Theisen, who has three in 41 at-bats and a .561 average. “It’s just that I’m seeing the ball so well this season and I’m making good contact.”
Edgerton picked up a run in the fourth inning. It could have been more, but catcher London Winch later snatched a bunt and tagged a runner trying to score on the play.
The Tide did add to its lead in the fifth inning, thanks to a double by Jillian Scharlau and RBI singles by Kjendlie and Phillips.
Theisen hit a one-hopper off the center field fence in the sixth for a one-out double. Allie Bell followed with a run-scoring double and Winch hit a single with an error that allowed another run to score to make it a 5-3 game. Two strikeouts ended the rally.
“We talked about being aggressive tonight and in my opinion we were way too selective,” Bell said. “I think we had five strikeouts looking and at least two of them with runners on second.”
The Cougars (7-10) went down in order in the seventh. Winning pitcher Kjendlie finished with a 5-hitter, allowing two earned runs, one walk and striking out 11.
“We’re a little under 50-50,” said Thiesen. “Some days we beat Turner and some days we lose to Edgerton. It just depends on who shows up and who wants to win.”
To be honest, Theisen expects better than her stat line Friday. She allowed eight hits and three earned runs. She didn’t walk a batter and struck out eight. For the season, she is 6-6 and over 82 innings has allowed only 62 hits and just 15 walks. She has struck out 162 and has posted a 1.54 ERA.
• LINESCORE:
EDGERTON 5, CLINTON 3
Clinton 000 102 0 — 3 5 1
Edgerton 200 120 x — 5 8 1
Leading hitters: C, Theisen 2x3, 1 run, 1 rbi; Bell 1x3, 1 run, 1 rbi; Winch 1x3; Morris 1x3. E, Scharlau 2x3, 1 run; Rebman 1x3, 1 run; Kjendlie 2x3, 2 runs, 2 rbi; Phillips 2x3, 1 run, 1 rbi; Sund 1x3, 1 rbi. 2B: Bell, Theisen, Scharlau. HR: Theisen.
Pitching: C, Theisen (L) 6.0-8-5-3-0-8. E, Kjendlie (W) 7.0-5-3-2-1-11.
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