After grinding out a hard-fought semifinal win, the Chelsea baseball team cruised over Father Gabriel Richard in the championship to claim the D2 district title Saturday.
The Bulldogs took down SEC White rival Pinckney 1-0 in a defensive battle in the semifinals Saturday morning.
It was a defensive battle with neither team mustering much offensive.
The lone run of the game came in the bottom of the second when Jimmy Sciackitano opened the inning with a single. Caden Basar sacrificed him to second with a bunt and with two outs Nathan Sobiechowski singled to left to drive home Sciackitano for a 1-0 lead.
Will McCalla and the Bulldogs defense did the rest to slam the door on the Pirates.
McCalla struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings on the mound for the Bulldogs.
Pinckney threatened with two runners on and one out in the fifth, but a strikeout and fly out ended the threat to keep it 1-0.
The Pirates again threatened in the seventh with one out they singled to right. McCalla got a flyout for the second out, but a single and walk loaded the bases with two out. Wyatt Matusik came on in relief and on the first pitch got a flyball to Sobiechowski in left to end the game.
Nathan Sciackitano and McCalla also had hits for the Bulldogs in the game where they had just four as a team.
In the championship game against Father Gabriel Richard, the Bulldogs used a big five-run third inning to pull away for an 11-3 win to claim the title.
Sobiechowski and Nate Christian had two-run doubles in the big third inning for Chelsea.
Chelsea benefitted from seven walks by FGR pitching including three in the five-run inning third.
Preston Paoletti struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings to earn the win.
FGR loaded the bases with one out when Matusik entered the game and getting a game ending grounder for a double play.
Matusik finished with one inning on the day on just two pitches to end both games.
Sobiechowski led the offense with two hits and three rbi, while McCalla had two hits and two rbi.
Christian had the two run double, Jax Ichesco a hit and run scored, and Paoletti one hit.
Chelsea improves to 23-11 and advances to the D2 regional at Tecumseh Tuesday to face SEC White rival Adrian.
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