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The Chelsea softball team saw its goals of a D2 state title end Saturday and as powerful Jackson Northwest team took down the Bulldogs 2-0 in the Regional finals in Chelsea.
The Bulldogs hosted the toughest D2 Regional in the state and it was the Mounties that moved on with a pair of impressive wins.
The Regional three of the top four teams in D2 and people knew it was going to take a lot for any team to move on to the quarterfinals.
Northwest was ranked second, Chelsea third, and Owosso, the defending state champions was ranked fourth heading into the weekend.
Chelsea opened things off with a 16-0 pounding of Ionia.
The Bulldogs scored eight runs in the first inning and never looked back as they pounded Ionia from the start.
Chelsea benefitted from three Ionia walks and an error in the first, while Amelia Robinson had a two-run double in the inning.
The lead would grow to 11-0 in the third with a Mya Purdy double and Bekah Zachrich triple to plate three runs.
Chelsea would finish the game in the fourth with a RBI-single by Megan McCalla and two-run double by Maggie Olaveson to make the final 16-0.
All nine Bulldogs starters had a hit in the game.
Zachrich finished with two hits and three RBI, while Olaveson had two hits and two RBI to lead Chelsea.
Robinson had a hit and two RBI, while McCalla, Andi Evers, Emilee Underwood, and Zoey Monica each had a hit and RBI. Purdy had a hit and four runs scored and Jenna Ouellette a hit and three runs scored for Chelsea.
Underwood tossed a no-hitter in the circle, striking out nine and walking one.
The championship game was a pitchers dual between two of the top pitchers in the state with Underwood and Jackson Northwest Nevaeh Ingram.
Ingram held the Bulldogs to just two hits, while Underwood held the Mounties to three.
The Mounties played small ball by getting sacrifice bunts to advance runners and was able to push runs across in the third and sixth innings for a 2-0 lead.
The high-powered Chelsea offense was shut down by Ingram for most of the game.
Olaveson doubled with one out in the fifth and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, but a pop-out ended the Bulldogs threat.
The top of the sixth saw Purdy get hit by a pitch, but the Bulldogs had some bad luck when Purdy attempted to steal second and a bunt was popped up for an easy double play to quickly get two outs.
Northwest added an insurance run in the sixth and the Bulldogs went down in order in the seventh to end the game and season for Chelsea.
Olaveson’s double and a bunt single by Underwood were the only hits for Chelsea. Underwood struck out three for the Bulldogs.
Chelsea finished the season with a 34-6 overall record.
Photos by Mike Williamson
