Saline Baseball Wins SEC Red Championship for the 25th Time

It wasn't always pretty, but the Saline Hornets are SEC Red baseball champs.

Saline won three games against Bedford to sweep the series, keep pace with Dexter, and win the division title. Saline and Dexter both finished with a 15-3 record, but Saline took two of three games in their series last week to win the tiebreaker. Dexter swept Monroe last week.

The series against Bedford was scheduled for a doubleheader at Bedford on Monday and a single game at Saline on Wednesday. Storms scuttled the picture. Saline and Bedford played the doubleheader at EMU Wednesday, with Saline winning 11-0 and 5-4.

On Thursday at Bedford, Saline won 4-3 to clinch the division.

Junior Brady Whitfield pitched a gem for the Hornets, giving up one run on four  hits and a walk while striking out four.

Bedford opened the scoring in the fourth. Saline tied the game in the fifth, added two in the sixth and one in the seventh. Bedford rallied for two runs in the seventh of Nolan Klein, but Carson Cherry ended the game with a great catch in centerfield.

Coach Al Zeiher was thrilled for the Hornets after they accomplished their goal.

"It's a year-round thing that we work at. So for those kids to have that moment, to have that feeling of euphoria for winning a championship - that is our 25th, you get that feeling of, 'now you're building a legacy,'" Zeiher said. "Your story gets told. And these guys have a great story to tell. I'm so proud of them. It was very symbolic of who our guys are. Yesterday we down two runs late in the game and we just fought back."

Last week, Saline won its first two games against Dexter and it looked like they'd be in the catbird seat for the league title. But Dexter won the third game. And then Pioneer defeated Saline on Friday in a game that had to be completed.

"I get more grey hair when that goes on. We didn't make it easy on ourselves. But that's the message to these guys. Anything worthwhile, nothing is easy," Zeiher said.

The Hornets plan to pay tribute to the 25 league titles with signage that will be placed in the back of their dugout.

"It's cool because (a league title) is something they can't take away from you. It just adds to your own story. When our alums come back they can point to that and someone can ask them to tell them about that story," Zeiher said.

The story isn't over for this year's team, which begins the playoffs next week.

Fighting through the adversity to win the league should help the Hornets as they battle.

"But ultimately, we've just got to go in with a pitch-to-pitch mindset," Zeiher said.

At EMU, Saline and Bedford resume the game that began Monday and was suspended after the top of the first. Saline led 1-0.

Saline erupted for four runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth. Saline added more in the sixth.

Sophomores Ryder Concannot was 2-for-3 with a run and RBI and Mason Piazza was 2-for-3 with a triple, run and RBI.

Concannon pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out 10. Bradley Sweetland pitched 1 1/3 innings, giving up only a walk as the pair combined for the shutout.

In the second game, Piazza was 2-for-3 with two RBI. John Townsend was also 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Carson Cherry earned the win with two scoreless innings. Starter Cole Raetzel allowed four runs on five hits and three walks in four innings.

Saline was down 4-2 in the fifth. Whitford led off with a double and scored on a one-out single by Piazza. Julien Polidano walked. Cherry singled to score Piazza. Townsend singled to score Polidano.

In the third game, Saline was down 1-0 before tying the game in the fifth. Colton Tousa reached base with a two-out single. Whitford singled and Tousa aggressively went to third, beating the errant throw. Tousa got up and bolted for home plate, beating the throw.

Polidano led off the sixth with a single. Cherry reached on an error and Saline had two runners on. Polidano stole third and scored on a bunt by Townsend. Nolan Klein walked. Tousa was hit by a pitch. Whitford walked to force in  a run. Saline led 3-1.

Piazza led off the seventh with a single. Polidano walked. With two out, Cherry singled and drove in the fourth run, which proved crucial to the win.

Saline defeated Livonia Churchill, 8-5, Friday on senior day.

Austin Abbate started and gave up only a walk in two innings. He struck out one. Devin Lilley was credited with the victory. He pitched three innings, giving up one unearned run on three hits and no walks.

Saline managed six hits.

Luc LaFleur had two hits and scored. Chase Alexander, Lucas Fidh, Brady Clark and Nolan Klein each drove in a run.

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• SOFTBALL: Saline Wins Fourth Straight SEC Red Saline has won four straight SEC Red Titles.
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