'It's a big boost for these boys': Cheboygan baseball tops Rudyard in home doubleheader

CHEBOYGAN – Last Saturday, the Cheboygan baseball team took one on the chin against Rudyard.

Losing by 16 runs to the Bulldogs in Boyne City, the Chiefs had an opportunity for payback against their Straits Area Conference rivals a few days later. On Thursday, the Chiefs came up with arguably their two biggest victories of the season by sweeping the Bulldogs with 6-4 and 7-6 wins in Cheboygan.

Jacob Seaman had a strong game for the Chiefs (7-10, 3-1 SAC) in the opener, ripping a triple and finishing with a team-high two hits and two RBIs, while Nolan Schley had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored. Dylan Balazovic recorded a hit, Patrick Smith knocked in a run, and James Charboneau scored a run.

“It’s a big boost for these boys,” Cheboygan coach Kevin Baller said of the wins. “We’ve been struggling as of late, and Rudyard is a good program. To walk away with two wins against them, that’s huge.”

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Sean Postula earned the win on the mound, striking out four, allowing five hits and walking two in 5 1/3 innings pitched. Balazovic recorded the save.

Balazovic was the winning pitcher in the nightcap, tossing 5 2/3 solid innings with four strikeouts, five hits scattered and three walks. Charlie Godfrey earned the save.

Brennan Bradley led Cheboygan’s offense with a hit, two RBIs and two runs scored, while Luke Munger had a hit and two RBIs, Blake Blaskowski doubled and scored a run, Charboneau recorded a hit and scored a run, Seaman finished with a hit and a run scored, and Chase Swanson and Postula chipped in with a hit apiece.

“I think that it was all about our pitching and timely hitting,” Baller said. “Sean Postula and Dylan Balazovic both did a fine job. They threw strikes, our defense did a phenomenal job behind them, and of course Charlie Godfrey coming in there at the end and getting the save. It was pitching, timely hitting and defense.

“We made a couple of mistakes, but they didn’t let those mistakes bother them."

Cheboygan will compete in the Hillman tournament on Saturday.

In junior varsity action, Cheboygan picked up 18-3 and 11-0 victories over Rudyard on Thursday.

Drake Dotski was the winning pitcher in game one, striking out six, walking two and allowing a hit.

Carson Kiefer won on the mound in the nightcap, striking out 12, scattering three hits and walking one. Offensively, Josh Clark doubled. Mark Munger, Kiefer and Dotski each singled.

Bats stay hot for Chiefs softball in shutout wins

CHEBOYGAN – The Cheboygan softball team just keeps on hitting.

For the third time this week, the offense of the Chiefs delivered, this time against Rudyard in a pair of 10-0 and 19-0 victories in a home doubleheader on Thursday.

Marley Couture’s three doubles and two runs scored led the Chiefs (14-7, 4-0 Straits Area Conference), who received a triple, a single and two runs scored from Presley Chamberlain, a double, a single and two runs scored from Tessa Lake, a double and three runs scored from Libby VanFleet, a hit and a run scored from Amelia Johnson, and a hit apiece from Jordan Ashley, Nataleigh Blaisdell and Ella Kosanke.

VanFleet was the winning pitcher, striking out 10 and allowing two hits in six shutout innings.

The Chiefs kept their offense rolling in the nightcap as Emerson Eustice had a double, two singles and two runs scored, Hannah Whippo tallied three hits and two runs scored, Chamberlain and Lake doubled, singled and scored two runs each, Jordan Ashley registered two doubles and two runs scored, Couture finished with two hits and three runs scored, and Kosanke added two hits and two runs scored. Emily Clark (double, two runs) and VanFleet (two runs) contributed with a hit apiece.

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Eustice earned the win on the mound, striking out four and allowing one hit in four shutout innings.

“It was a good night,” Cheboygan coach Mike LaLonde said. “The girls hit the ball hard, they put it in play every time. The defense was great. We really had one throwing error all night, so that was great to see.”

Cheboygan plays at the Midland Dow tournament on Saturday, facing Lansing Catholic at 10 a.m.

Selke, Gulley key Onaway offense in sweep over JoBurg

ONAWAY – The Onaway baseball team captured 7-4 and 11-2 victories in a Ski Valley doubleheader against Johannesburg-Lewiston on Tuesday.

Cole Selke’s three hits, RBI and two runs scored led the Cardinals (7-3, 5-3 Ski Valley) in game one, while Jackson Chaskey and Luke Lovelace each had two hits, an RBI and a run scored, Justin Kramer-St. Germain added a hit, an RBI and a run scored, Gavin Green recorded a hit, and Austin Veal tallied an RBI and a run scored.

Dylan Szymoniak was the winning pitcher, striking out nine and allowing two hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Andrew Gulley was the top Onaway offensive performer in the nightcap, smacking a home run and finishing with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Other Cardinals adding two hits were Veal (RBI, two runs), Anthony Santiago (RBI, two runs) and Szymoniak (RBI). Lovelace (RBI, two runs), Green (run), Chaskey (run) and Selke (run) registered a hit apiece. Kramer-St. Germain knocked in a run.

Jadin Mix earned the win on the mound, striking out five and scattering three hits in five innings.

Onaway hosts Lake Linden-Hubbell on Friday.

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cheboygan baseball, softball sweep Rudyard; Onaway baseball beats JoBurg twice