Saline Softball Claims Fourth Straight District Title

The Saline softball team began its quest for a second straight state title by claiming the Hornets fourth district title in a row Saturday.

Saline rolled the district championship by crushing Pioneer 16-0 in the championship game.

The Hornets reached the finals after getting a scare in the semifinals with a 3-1 eight inning win over Dexter.

Abby Curtis was dominant on the mound, going the distance against Dexter, striking out 13 and allowing just two hits.

Dexter took a 1-0 lead in the first with a walk, single and error, but that is all the Dreadnaughts would muster against Curtis.

Saline evened things up in the third with a pair of Dexter errors and a squeeze bunt by Gracie Waldrop.

The Hornets had a chance in the seventh with a Makayla Shelton doubled and was bunted to third with one out. Dexter got out of it with a fly ball and threw Shelton out at the plate to keep it 1-1 and send the game to extra innings.

Saline broke through in the eighth with singles by Casey Griffin and Waldrop and a to-run double by Lucy Winters to plate two for a 3-1 lead.

Curtis set the Dreadnaughts down in order in the eighth, striking out the final two for the 3-1 win to advance to the finals.

Waldrop led the offense with three hits, a rbi and run scored.

Winters finished with the game-winning double and two rbi, while Shelton and Griffin had one hit each.

The championship game was all Hornets when a big eight run third inning blew the game open for the 16-0 win.

Zosia Mazur and Harper Grambau combined for a one-hitter, striking out 13.

Emilee Sontag had a big bat with three doubles and four rbi, while Winters had two doubles and a rbi.

Elizabeth Onyskin had a home run and three rbi, Reese Rupert and hit and two rbi, Catherine Kniffin, Lexi Abbate, and Griffin a hit and rbi each, and Maddie Foster a hit and run scored.

Saline improved to 32-6-1 on the season and advances to the D1 regional at Bedford Saturday to face Livonia Churchill.