BASEBALL: How Saline Won the District Championship

First, the Hornets avenged last season's upset in the district tournament, coming from behind to defeat Pioneer, 7-5. Then the Hornets paid back Dexter for taking the season series and  beat them 5-0 at home.

Saline (26-11) won the district tournament and has advanced to the regional tournament. Saline plays Hartland (23-15) at noon, Wednesday, at Howell High School. The winner moves on to the regional final and, potentially, the quarterfinal at Novi on Saturday.

The Magic

Sometimes, something happens that reminds you of the magic of baseball. Saline went up first against Pioneer and scored two runs. Pioneer matched them. Saline added a run in the second. But Pioneer scored 3 to take a 5-3 lead.

Saline then went three innings without scoring. Noah Reeves came in and held the Pioneers down. So the score stayed 5-3 for three innings. Saline put the lead off runner in the third and fourth but couldn't get the timely hit. In the fifth, the Hornets went down, 1-2-3.

In the sixth, the Hornets worked up some magic. Devin Lilley opened with a single to center. Johnny Arvai singled to left. Austin Abbate grounded into a fielder's choice, putting runners on first and third.. Abbate stole second.

Up stepped Cole Kreuzer. He hit a long, towering fly to right center. The rightfielder gave chase but couldn't catch up. 

Lilley, who had been waiting to tag up, ran for home, and Abbate ran for third. One of the outfielders accidentally kicked the ball toward the fence. Neither outfielder could find it.

Lilley scored.

Abbate scored.

The outfielders found it, but Kreuzer was getting waived home.

Kreuzer slid into home and easily beat the throw for an inside-the-park home run that put Saline up 6-5.

It was one of the most remarkable moments in recent Saline Athletics history.

Beastmode Reeves

The Kreuzer heroics aren't possible with low-key heroics from Noah Reeves. Matt Mareno couldn't buy a break in his two innings of work. Noah Reeves stepped in and pitched five innings of no-hit baseball. He allowed two walks and struck out four in a masterful performance.. Saline was down by two for three straight innings before they broke through again. A run or two might have been all it took to derail future rallies. And when Mareno drove in the insurance run in the seventh, Pioneer just didn't stand a chance against Reeves and a two-run lead.

Ryder Concannon celebrates an inning-ending doubleplay.

The Kid. No, The Other One

Did you see that freshman third baseman Mason Piazza went 2-for-3 with a run scored and started a 5-4-3 double play to end an inning?

No, we're talking about the other freshman.  Ryder Concannon.

Against Pioneer, he was 2-for-3 with a walk, run and two RBI. Then he started against Dexter.

Concannon scattered six hits and four walks while striking out seven in his complete-game shutout in the district championship. That's a wild sentence about a freshman.

Ryder just didn't let Dexter generate momentum. That 5-4-3 double play started by Piazza was one of two inning-ending double plays. Dexter had a runner on second when a batter hit a long fly ball to center. Reeves made the catch and the runner broke toward third. Reeves threw to second for the double play.

Coach Al Zeiher credited the Hornets for executing a small ball game to manufacture runs. Piazza had two hits and so did Brandon Warwinsky. 

More interviews:

Catcher Hunter Easton on the pitching performances and winning the districts.

Cade Tousa on the move from 2nd to short, the play of the infield, and winning the district.

Coach Zeier's thoughts on winning the district.

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