A new look Chelsea girls’ softball team opened the 2024 season by taking three of four games, including a doubleheader sweep of Bedford Wednesday.
The Bulldogs will be a young squad that will need to replace six seniors from last years team that were three years varsity players and for the first time a new pitcher will be in the circle with the graduation of two-time D2 all state pitcher Emilee Underwood graduating.
Chelsea appeared to not miss a beat as they took a pair of games from Bedford 9-2 and 5-2.
Bedford scored an unearned run in the first inning in the opener, but the Bulldogs answered with an RBI single from Kaydee Absher and run scoring groundout by Charlotte Diesing to take a 2-1 lead.
Chelsea scored an unearned run in the second for a 3-1 lead and blew the game open in the fourth with an RBI double by Piper Diesing and two-run homer by Jenna Ouellette.
The Bulldogs would put the game away with three runs in the fifth for the 9-2 win.
Absher led the offense by going 4-4 with an RBI.
Ouelette, a four-year varsity player for the Bulldogs had three hits, including the home run and two RBI.
Charlotte Diesing finished with two hits and an RBI, Piper Diesing two hits and an RBI, and Sam Dark two hits and two runs scored.
Tori Parisho earned the win in the circle with nine strikeouts and allowing two unearned runs.
The Bulldogs took the second game 5-2 with a late sixth inning rally.
Bedford took a 1-0 lead in the second, but Ouellette evened things at one with her second homer of the season.
The teams each scored a run in the fourth to tie the game at two until the sixth inning.
Kylie Beckel walked with one out and Dani Wahl followed with a two-run shot to left to put the Bulldogs up 4-2. Back-to-back doubles by Ouellette and Avery Lay pushed the lead to 5-2 and the Bulldogs slammed the door on a Mules threat in the seventh to end the game.
Wahl finished with two hits, including the home run and two RBI, while Ouellette had two hits, with the home run and two runs scored.
Lay finished with two hits and an RBI, while Absher and Ella Root had one hit each.
Charlotte Diesing and Parisho combined for seven strikeouts in the circle for the Bulldogs.
Chelsea fell to a strong Grass Lake team 5-3 Saturday morning.
Beckel doubled in a run and scored on a wild pitch to put the Bulldogs up 2-1 in the second, but the Warriors scored twice in the third and two more in the fifth for a 5-2 lead and held on for the win.
Absher and Beckel had two hits and an RBI each, while Dark had two hits. Oullette and Charlotte Diesing each had a hit and run scored.
The Bulldogs bounced back to defeat Eaton Rapids 15-3 in the second game.
Parisho had a big game at the plate with three hits, including a home run and five RBI to lead the offense.
Root had two hits and two RBI, while Dark and Wahl had two hits and an RBI each. Ouellette finished with two hits and two runs scored, Beckel a hit and three runs scored, and Absher a hit and two RBI. Charlotte Diesing picked up the win in the circle for the Bulldogs.
Photos by Dawn McCann
