The Dexter and Chelsea softball teams battled to a doubleheader split at Dexter Thursday with the Dreadnaughts improving to 10-4 and the Bulldogs 9-4 on the season.
Chelsea took the all-important first game 9-0.
The first game of a doubleheader in a SEC Red and White crossover counts in the final conference standings for each team. The second game of the DH only counts in the team overall record.
The game was dominated by pitching for the first two innings with the Dreadnaughts Audrey Gauthier and the Bulldogs Tori Parisho throwing shutting down the offenses.
Chelsea broke through with an unearned run in the third when Avery Lay reached on an error. She stole second and was sacrificed to third. Kaydee Absher came through with a two-out single to score Lay for a 1-0 Bulldogs lead.
Dexter threatened in the fourth when Clara Lamb doubled to right with one out, but the Dreads could not move her around and the score stayed 1-0.
The flood gate opened for Chelsea in the fifth when the Bulldogs scored five times with the help of three Dexter errors.
Dani Wahl and Lay opened the inning with singles and two Dreads errors plated two runs. A walk, another error, and a bunt plated three more runs to make it 6-0.
Absher cranked a three-run homer in the sixth and Parisho shut the Dreadnaughts down the rest of the way.
Chelsea was led by Absher with three hits, with the home run and five RBI. Lay added three hits and three runs scored, while Jenna Ouellette, Parisho, and Kylie Beckey had a hit and RBI each. Wahl finished with two hits and a run scored.
Parisho struck out 13 and allowed just three hits for the Bulldogs.
Ella Mitchell, Lamb, and Maddie Thompson had the hits for Dexter. Gauthier struck out 10 and allowed three earned run in the loss.
The second game was a wild one that saw Dexter score three runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull out the come from behind 10-9 win.
The Dreadnaughts took a 3-0 lead in the first with a RBI single by Gigi Kirkey and a two-out error by Chelsea that plated two runs.
Chelsea answered with five runs in the second with the big blow being a three-run homer by Lay to put the Bulldogs on top.
Lizzie Lewis led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to cut the Chelsea lead to 5-4 and Kirkey put the Dreads on top 6-5 with a two-run shot to left.
Chelsea went back on top in the third with RBI singles from Absher and Ella Root and a two-run homer by Beckel to take a 9-6 lead.
Dexter got a run back in the third to make it 9-7 and it stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth.
Two walks and a single loaded the bases with one out for Dexter and Roni Wilson tied the game with a two-run double to make it 9-9. Mallory Brandt laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Lamb to make it 10-9 Dexter.
Chelsea went down in order in the seventh and Dexter held on for the win.
Kirkey led the Dreadnaughts with three hits, including the home run and three RBI. Wilson had a double and two RBI, Lamb two hits and two runs scored, Mitchell a hit and three runs scored, Gauthier a double and run scored, and Thompson one hit.
Lamb earned the win in the circle, striking out one and allowing no runners in two innings of work for the Dreads.
Root led the Bulldogs with two hits and an RBI, while Lay had a home run and three RBI, and Beckel a home run and two RBI. Absher had a hit and RBI, Ouellette and Parisho a hit and run scored each, and Wahl one hit.
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
