The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Bulldogs win four of last five
By Don Richter, Sports Editor
PUBLISHED: May 8, 2008
Chelsea baseball is starting to turn the corner as the season hits its midway point. The Bulldogs have won four out of their last five games, improving their overall record to 8-7 and 5-3 in the Southeastern Conference.
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Last Monday, Chelsea dropped the first contest of a doubleheader losing 7-4 in eight innings to visiting Adrian. The second game was stopped with the score 4-4 because of darkness.
In the opener, senior pitcher Andy Korc absorbed the loss from the hill despite throwing a strong game. Korc finished with five strikeouts and three walks.
"He pitched a solid baseball game," said Chelsea coach Wayne Welton. "If we would have picked up the ball behind him, we win 4-1."
The Bulldogs committed eight errors in the game against Adrian.
"It was a competitive game, but the eight errors were our undoing," Welton said.
In the eighth inning, the Maples scored three unearned runs to record the win.
Offensively, seniors Christopher Schmelz, Donny Riedel and Korc and junior Scott Rhodes each had base hits for Chelsea.
In the nightcap, the Bulldogs scored two runs in the first inning. Key hits in the frame went to senior Jeff Adams and Rhodes, who had a RBI double.
In the fifth inning, Adrian scored four unearned runs taking a 4-2 lead.
In the sixth inning, Chelsea answered as senior Matt Schwarze tripled and was brought home by sophomore Brett Caid's RBI single. Additional hits in the inning belonged to Schmelz and Riedel.
"Out of Adrian's 11 runs on the day, only one was earned," Welton said.
Last Thursday, the visiting Bulldogs swept a doubleheader from county rival Dexter winning 6-5, 11-5.
"That was a big doubleheader sweep for us," Welton said. "We really battled."
In Game 1, junior Michael Lenneman started and pitched three innings. Senior Paul Bell relieved Lenneman and pitched the final four innings.
"He kept us in it," Welton said of Bell. "He was outstanding in relief."
The Dreadnaughts jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead.
Chelsea responded with four runs in the third inning. Schwarze started the rally with a single. Schmelz and Riedel each drew a walk to load the bases. Adams singled to score one run. Rhodes then followed with a three-run double giving the Bulldogs a 4-3 advantage.
As in any rivalry, Dexter answered back with two runs in its half of the inning leap-frogging back on top 5-4.
In the fifth frame, Schmelz and Riedel both walked. Adams then connected for fielder's choice RBI tying the contest at 5-5.
In the top of the seventh inning, Schmelz drew another walk. After two Dreadnaught errors, Schmelz came home with the game-winning run.
"He's clearly a catalyst for us," Welton said of Schmelz. "He had four walks in the game. If you put him on base four times, he's going to score. Good things seem to happen for us when he's on base. He's an outstanding base runner and base stealer."
In the bottom of the seventh, Dexter rallied. With the bases loaded and a 3-2 count on the batter, Bell struck out the final hitter for the Chelsea victory.
In Game 2, the Bulldogs scored five runs in the second inning, sparked by a two-run single by Riedel.
In the third inning, Adams ignited a five-run frame with a two-run RBI double. Caid and Korc also singled in the inning, with Caid's hit bringing home a run.
Earning the win from the hill for the Bulldogs was junior Andrew Sensoli. With the victory, Sensoli improved to 2-1 on the year.
Offensively, Schmelz paced Chelsea finished 2-for-3 with two stolen bases. For the doubleheader, Schmelz had six stolen bases and scored six runs.
"We're working hard," Welton said. "But we need to eliminate our mistakes."
The Bulldogs next host Ann Arbor Pioneer Thursday at 4 p.m.
On Saturday, Chelsea travels to Muskegon Mona Shores for a contest at 11 a.m.
On Monday, the Bulldogs visit Tecumseh for a game at 4 p.m.
On May 15, Chelsea travels to Temperance Bedford for a match-up at 4 p.m.
Freshman Baseball
Chelsea's freshman baseball team swept a doubleheader from host Adrian winning 18-0, 14-7.
In the first game, Jake Fox recorded the win from the rubber for the Bulldogs. He also led the way at the plate with three hits.
Tyler Camp added a triple for Chelsea.
In the second contest, Camp earned the win. Ryan Calouro threw a scoreless seventh inning for the Bulldogs to close out the victory.
Patrick Roberts connected for a three-run inside the park home run. Charlie McCalla and T.J. DeRosia each added hits for Chelsea.
"This was a good and much needed day for us," said Chelsea coach Jason Morris. "We had been on the short end of some very close games, so it was nice to pick up a couple of wins.
"We know we have to cut down on walks, have better approaches at the plate and cut down on base running errors. When we do this, we will be a very good baseball team."
Last Saturday, Chelsea participated in the Coldwater Invitational.
The Bulldog lost to Battle Creek Pennfield 2-0.
Charlie Hess, though pitching well, absorbed the loss for Chelsea. Offensively, Hess also contributed two hits.
Connor Townsend added a single for the Bulldogs.
"This was a great ball game for both teams," Morris said. "It was great to see a low scoring battle at the freshman level."
In its second game, Chelsea lost 12-10 to Comstock.
Kyle Rodriguez had two hits, including a double to lead the Bulldogs.
Bobby Hall chipped in two singles for Chelsea.
The Bulldogs next travel to Ann Arbor Pioneer for a game Thursday at 4 p.m.
On Monday, Chelsea hosts Tecumseh at 4 p.m.
On May 15, the Bulldogs host Temperance Bedford at 4 p.m.
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