Saline softball wins D1 district title, Milan claims D3 crown and more Saturday results
Saline's Kaitlin Ward, right (14), and coach Alicia Seegert, left, congratulate an excited Emily Ouellette, center, for scoring on a passed ball at the MHSAA softball districts against Monroe at Saline High School. (Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com)
"I told them that they were going to surprise a lot of people," Seegert said.
After losing a pair of games to Monroe in the regular season, Saline beat the Trojans 6-3 in a Division 1 district title game. The Hornets reached the final by beating Ypsilanti, 7-1, in a semifinal.
More MLive.com coverage: Saline-Ypsilanti Boxscore | Saline-Monroe Boxscore
"We were solid. It was amazing," Seegert said. "We've picked up the speed of the game. Halfway through the season, we were not playing at varsity speed. Now we are getting it."
Freshman Kristina Zalewski got the win in the title game, allowing six hits and striking out 12. Jenna Santure allowed four hits and struck out three against Ypsilanti.
At the plate, leadoff hitter Emily Ouellette sparked both wins. She was a combined 7-for-8 with seven runs and was a perfect 7-of-7 in stolen bases.
Kaitlin Ward was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored against Monroe and 2-for-4 with two RBIs against Ypsilanti.
DIVISION 2 AT MONROE
MONROE -- Kat Hoffman pitched a two-hitter in the championship game of the Division 2 Softball District at Monroe Jefferson High School to lead Milan High School to a district title.
Hoffman faced 22 batters and only gave up one run while striking out six against Carleton Airport as Milan won the title 13-1 in five innings.
More MLive.com coverage: Milan-Carleton Airport Boxscore | Milan-Monroe Jeffrson Boxscore
Lani Ernst's two hits were both home runs and she had three RBIs to lead the Big Reds. Nina Doran was was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
Milan defeated host Monroe Jefferson 8-5 to advance to the finals. Hoffman pitched all seven innings of that game, striking out seven batters and allowing eight hits. Ernst was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
DIVISION 2 AT JACKSON
JACKSON - Chelsea High School's softball team would like to have the third inning back of its opening district tournament game against Tecumseh.
The Bulldogs allowed seven runs in the stanza, proving the difference in the 9-2 loss.
A pair of bunt singles started things off for the Indians followed by a Chelsea error. When the dust settled, Tecumseh was up 8-0.
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Marie Zill was 3-for-3 with a run scored and two stolen bases to lead Chelsea. Shelby Platt and Kaylie Dixon each went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Chelsea scored both its runs in the sixth on RBI singles from Platt andDixon, scoring Zill and Ellie Stoffer. The Bulldogs didn't threaten much outside of that.
"We had a couple hits in a row in the fifth," Bulldog coach Bob Moffett said. "That could have ended up being bases loaded, instead there were two outs. We got two people on and never got the big hit we needed."
"I'm disappointed, no doubt," Moffett said. "But 27-8, that's the best record we've had since being in the state semis in 2004. You've got to look at the bright side sometimes, too."
BASEBALL
DIVISION 2 AT JACKSON JACKSON -- Chelsea High School's hopes of winning its second straight Division 2 district title ended with a 3-0 loss to Tecumseh in the opening game at Jackson Northwest High School.
"We thought we had a great chance to win that district, but Tecumseh's Jake Moore had something different to say about that," Chelsea coach Wayne Welton said.
Moore, the winning pitcher for the Indians, gave up just five hits and earned his second shutout of the year against Chelsea. He was the only pitcher to hold the Bulldogs scoreless this season.
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"We knew we could play with any of the four teams in there if we had the kind of day we're capable of having," Welton said. "The beauty of baseball is that whoever is standing on the bump can dictate the play. (Moore) got the job done for them."
Jarred Scheese pitched the first three and one-third innings for the Bulldogs, allowing all four hits. Nate Udell finished the game allowing no hits and striking out two batters. Patrick Roberts had two of Chelsea's five hits.
"I'd like to say this was a winable game, but it's hard to say when you don't score," Welton said. "We needed a timely hit here and there and we did bunch some together, but we couldn't come up with it."
DIVISION 2 AT MONROE Milan High School fell to Tecumseh, 10-4, at Monroe Jefferson High School. Game details were no available.
DIVISION 3 AT ONSTED ONSTED - Addison managed to scratch across one run in the seventh innning of the championship game at Saturday's Division 4 district tournament. It was the lone run Clinton High School gave up on the day, as the Redskins took a district title for the second straight year.
The win sets up a regional semifinal showoown with Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard Saturday at Grass Lake. The Irish beat Clinton last year in the regional final.
Clinton blanked Hudson 4-0 in the opener. Rylie Robinson went the distance and scattered five hits while striking out six. Mike Bohnett was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
More MLive.com coverage: Clinton-Hudson Boxscore | Clinton-Addison Boxscore
In the title game against Addison, Bohnett's hot bat continued. He went 4-for-4 and scored two runs. Stefan Spurlock was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a pair of runs.
Stephen Cooley threw all seven innings with 10 strikeouts and three hits.