Saline Baseball Clips Dexter for District Title

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The Saline baseball team held off Dexter for a 3-2 win to claim the D1 district title at home Saturday.

The Hornets advance to the regional semifinals Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. against Hartland and with a win they would advance to the regional final at Novi Saturday.

The Saline defense came up big just two batters into the game when Dexter opened the game with a double and followed with a single. Tate Bezeau took the cut-off and picked off the Dreadnaughts runner at third for the first out of the game.

A pair of groundouts ended the inning and Saline would capitalize with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first with a wild pitch and a run-scoring single by Jackson Conley for a 2-0 lead after one.

Dexter would even things up with a pair of runs, but the Hornets defense again came up big with an inning-ending double play when Kriss Sydlowski caught a line drive to right field and fired to second to double off the Dexter runner to end the inning.

Saline answered in the third with a Conley single. Josh Folk pinch ran and advance to third on a wild pick-off attempt at first base and scored on a groundout by Bezeau for a 3-2 lead.

Zach Fidh was stellar on the mound with five strong innings. Jackson Muir came into pitch in the sixth and put the Dreadnaughts down in order.

Saline threatened in the sixth with a pair of walks to start the inning, but three straight strikeouts ended the threat sending it to the seventh at 3-2.

Dexter opened the seventh with a single and a sacrifice bunt moved the tying run to second. A wild pitch moved the runner to third and a walk put runners on the corners with one out.

Muir would slam the door with a pair of strikeouts to end the game as the Hornets stormed the field in celebration.

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Fidh allowed five hits and struck out four for the win, while Muir got the save with two innings of work and two strikeouts.

Conley led the offense with two hits and a rbi, while Cade Tousa added the other two hits for Hornets.

Saline took an early lead and held on for a 7-4 win over Ann Arbor Skyline in the district semifinals earlier in the day.

Roman Laurio had a big day at the plate with four hits and two rbi. Sam Kreuzer and Tousa had two hits and a run scored each. Bezeau and Reed Muir each had a hit and rbi and Ian Furlong one hit.

Matt Mareno was strong on the mound with nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings and earned the win. Brandon Wise earned the save for Saline.

The Hornets reached the weekend after a 9-1 win over Huron in the quarterfinals May 30.

Jackson Muir had three hits and two rbi and earned the win on the mound with nine strikeouts.

Laurion had two hit and a rbi and Tousa two hits and two runs scored. Kreuzer had a hit and two rbi, and Bezeau a hit and rbi.

Saline improved to 28-12 on the season.