With the SEC-Red baseball title hanging in the balance, Saline and Ann Arbor Skyline traded blows in an intense doubleheader Monday.
The two split the matches, setting the stage for a decisive rubber match on Wednesday.
It was as close as it gets between the two squads as Saline won the first game 3-2 and Skyline rebounded with a 2-1 victory in the nightcap.
In Game 1, Saline rallied from an early 2-0 deficit and scored the game-winning run in the ninth inning from an error by Skyline.
Matt Mareno led the Hornets with three hits and struck out seven Skyline batters in seven innings of work.
Mason Piazza added two hits and two RBIs for Saline, while Ryder Concannon and Austin Abbate each had a hit and a run scored.
Skyline’s Landry Jobe led the team with a hit and an RBI, while Caleb Raymond went 8.1 innings and struck out 13 batters.
The Eagles found just enough offense in the second game to keep their hopes of an SEC-Red title going.
Jobe led the charge for Skyline as he finished with a hit and two RBIs, including driving in the game-winning run in the sixth inning.
Nehith Kumar also had a hit for Skyline and Cooper Onsted earned the win for the Eagles and finished with two strikeouts.
Concannon paced Saline with two hits, while Cole Kreuzer added a hit and an RBI. Noah Reeves took the loss though he finished with 11 strikeouts and just two hits allowed.
Saline (16-4 SEC-Red) can win the league crown outright with a win on Wednesday, while Skyline (15-5 SEC-Red) can force a tie with a victory.
Greenhills 2, Whitmore Lake 1; Greenhills 3, Whitmore Lake 1
The Gryphons had two strong defensive performances to secure the sweep.
Talen Pilz led Greenhills in the doubleheader with three hits and two RBIs and Ethan Berry added a hit and two RBIs.
Talen Pilz started Game 1 for Greenhills, recording five strikeouts and Jeremiah Bowman opened Game 2 and recorded a strikeout.
Curtis Bower had a hit and an RBI for Whitmore Lake.
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SOFTBALL
Saline’s Reese Rupert (4) and Saline’s Ava Stripp (7) celebrate a run as Dexter hosts Saline at Dexter High School on Monday, April 21, 2025.Chloe Miller | MLive.com
Saline 16, Skyline 1; Saline 11, Skyline 0
The Hornets closed out SEC-Red competition with a sweep to finish 18-0 in league play.
Emma Wiedmayer paced Saline with two hits and six RBIs, Ashley Malinczak drove in two runs and Casey Griffin added two hits and an RBI.
Jessi Phelps secured the first win with four strikeouts and four hits allowed in three innings and Zosia Mazur won Game 2 with nine strikeouts and three hits allowed.
Lincoln 7, Bedford 6; Bedford 7, Lincoln 6
The Railsplitters went toe-to-toe with Bedford and earned the split.
Savanna Kane led Lincoln with four hits and four RBIs, Bria Powell added two hits and four RBIs and McKaylie Kern recorded a hit and two RBIs.
Kane also earned the win in Game 1 as she struck nine batters and allowed four hits in seven innings.