MUSKEGON – Sure the season just started, and with three errors in the field and two wild pitches that allowed runs, you could argue that the Muskegon Clippers’ opponents helped beat themselves.

But the fact remains that the Clippers are 2-0 for the first time in their five seasons in the Great Lakes Collegiate Summer League, and that beats the heck out of 1-1 or 0-2.

The Clippers turned in their second straight impressive performance of the new season, downing the Jet Box Baseball Club 9-2 at Marsh Field on Wednesday night.

Muskegon has now outscored Jet Box 17-6 in two games, with the third and final game of the series slated for Thursday at 7 p.m.

Muskegon’s Luke Kerrins hustles down the baseline after putting the ball in play. 

‘I didn’t know that, that’s pretty cool news,” Clippers manager Logan Fleener said when informed that the 2-0 start is a first for the team in the Great Lakes league. “There are a lot of games yet to play, but through 18 innings I don’t think we could be much happier.”

Pitching, such a big part of the game, continued to shine for the Clippers for the second straight night.

Starter and winner DJ Thompson was sharp on the mound, striking out six in 4 1/3 innings. Gavin Sitars, Ben Alderson and Blake Gedrich were effective out of the bullpen.

Overall Clipper pitchers struck out eight batters.

Brendan Scheurer scores a run for the Clippers. 

The bats were also productive again, with the Clippers totaling nine hits.

Brandon Scheurer, Braden Benton and Colin Cornwell each had two hits while Benton and Cornwell each knocked in two runs.

Scheurer scored three runs, while Luke Kerrins and Aaron Piasecki each scored two.

The defense, which is huge in summer collegiate leagues, was clean for the second straight night, with Muskegon producing no errors, compared to three for Jet Box.

Gavin Sitars delivers a pitch for the Clippers. 

Overall Fleener likes what he’s seeing early in the season.

“They seem to have the possibility of being a real special group,” he said about the team. “We seem to have a good mixture of athleticism, speed and power, and we don’t strike out a ton. Last year we struggled with strikeouts and not much power, but I think we will have some power this season.”

The Clippers took the lead right away in the first inning when Scheurer knocked in a run on a groundout, then Benton delivered a two-run single.

Muskegon added two runs in the fourth inning when Caleb Sanders walked, advanced to second and scored on an error, then Kerrins scored on another error, making the score 5-0.

Muskegon’s Sheehan O’Connor takes a big cut at a pitch. 

Jet Box broke the shutout in the top of the fifth with a run, then the Clippers answered in the bottom of the inning when Cornwell delivered an RBI single.

The Clippers added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth when two runs scored on wild pitches and Cornwell hit an RBI double.

The visitors scored a run in the ninth inning, but it was too little, too late.