JACKSON — After another successful regular season, the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders will begin postseason play with hopes of making another deep district tournament run in Class 3 District 2.
The Crusaders enter district competition after compiling one of the area’s stronger regular seasons, highlighted by wins over Perryville, Oak Ridge, Bell City and Oran.
Saxony Lutheran’s offense has been one of its biggest strengths throughout the spring.
The Crusaders consistently produced runs behind a lineup that featured speed, gap power and aggressive baserunning, while the pitching staff continued to provide quality innings in key games.
Saxony Lutheran also gained momentum late in the season with victories over Bell City and Oak Ridge, including a 15-0 win against Bell City in Jackson. The Crusaders collected 14 hits in that contest while Eli Raddemann and Tyler Lawrence combined to allow only 1 hit on the mound.
The Class 3 District 2 field features several familiar opponents and difficult matchups, including Valle Catholic, Jefferson, Kelly and Grandview.
Valle Catholic again appears to be among the district favorites after another strong season, while Jefferson and Kelly both played competitive schedules throughout the spring.
For Saxony Lutheran, postseason success may come down to pitching depth and continuing the offensive consistency the Crusaders displayed during much of the regular season.
The Crusaders have shown throughout the year they can score in bunches and pressure opponents with aggressive play on the bases, two traits that often become even more valuable in tournament baseball.
Class 3 District 2 tournament play is scheduled to begin May 16.
Chaffee 10, Saxony Lutheran 5
JACKSON — Chaffee erased an early deficit with a 5-run 5th inning and defeated Saxony Lutheran 10-5 on May 11.
The Crusaders led 4-3 entering the 5th before Chaffee broke the game open with 5 runs in the inning and added 2 more in the 7th.
Saxony Lutheran finished with 8 hits, led by Baylor Wilson, who went 4-for-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Kai McDowell added 2 hits and scored twice, while Zach Roth finished with a double and RBI.
Cole Roth collected 2 hits and an RBI, and Dylan Johnson drove in a run.
Zach Roth started on the mound and struck out 5 over 4 innings while allowing 6 runs, 3 earned. Layton Hoehne and Cole Roth also pitched in relief.
Chaffee totaled 10 runs on 10 hits and was led by Rolen Reischman, who finished with 3 hits and 3 RBI. Kolbey Estes added 2 hits and 2 RBI, while Dane McMullin drove in 2 runs.
Dane McMullin earned the win after allowing 1 run over 3 innings. Jordan Essner and Nolan Fowler also pitched in relief for Chaffee.
