Cheboygan softball, baseball sweep Brimley; Mackinaw City teams roll at Posen

CHEBOYGAN – Once more, the Cheboygan softball team wasn’t messing around in a conference doubleheader.

The Chiefs were laser focused from the start of Thursday’s Straits Area Conference matchups, hammering Brimley twice with 18-0 and 18-1 victories at home. With the wins, the Chiefs (19-9, 8-0 SAC) can clinch an unbeaten conference title-winning campaign if they sweep Newberry in their SAC finale next week.

In game one, Amelia Johnson (three RBIs, two runs) and Emily Clark (two doubles, run) fueled the Chiefs with three hits apiece, while Tessa Lake had two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored, and Presley Chamberlain tallied two hits, scored two runs and added an RBI. Registering a hit apiece were Marley Couture (three RBIs, three runs), Emerson Eustice (two RBIs, two runs), Libby VanFleet (RBI, three runs) and Jordan Ashley (run). Hannah Whippo scored a run.

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VanFleet was the winning pitcher, striking out nine and allowing no hits over three innings.

The nightcap was more of the same from Cheboygan, which received a home run, a single, two RBIs and two runs scored from Ashley, a triple, a double, two RBIs and two runs scored from VanFleet, two hits from Couture (double, two RBIs, two runs), and a hit apiece from Eustice (triple, RBI, two runs), Lake (double, three RBIs, three runs), Ella Kosanke (two RBIs, three runs) and Whippo (run). Chamberlain, Clark and Johnson scored a run apiece.

Eustice earned the pitching win, striking out 12 and scattering three hits in five innings.

“I really like the approach at the plate from the girls right now, they continue to swing the bat well,” Cheboygan coach Mike LaLonde said. “I’m also really happy with the zero walks from our two pitchers, which was great to see. The confidence is high with the girls right now. We’re playing some really good ball.”

Blaskowski's walk-off single highlights Chiefs' comeback

CHEBOYGAN – Things didn’t look good for Cheboygan baseball on Thursday.

Trailing 9-4 going into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Chiefs were in danger of suffering a game one loss to the Brimley Bays at home. But then came a huge rally for the Chiefs, who tied the game up with a five-run fifth and eventually captured a dramatic 10-9 victory over the Bays when senior Blake Blaskowski connected on a walk-off hit that scored Phoenix Gomez in the bottom of the sixth.

“It was a hard-fought win, and the kids did a great job,” Cheboygan coach Kevin Baller said. “The kids could’ve easily thrown in the towel, especially after some of the errors we had, but they kept battling. Their ability to fight back speaks volumes of how resilient they are.”

Leading the Chiefs (10-13, 5-3 Straits Area Conference) with two hits, an RBI and two runs scored was Jacob Seaman, while Dylan Balazovic had two hits and knocked in a run. Registering a hit apiece were Charlie Godfrey (two RBIs, run) Blaskowski (two RBIs, run), Patrick Smith (two runs), Gomez and Nolan Schley.

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Going the distance for Cheboygan was pitcher James Charboneau, who picked up the win with eight strikeouts, six hits allowed and two walks in six innings.

“I’ve got to credit James Charboneau, he pitched a very good game,” Baller said. “There were some errors in that game, but he didn’t let that bother him and continued to battle through.”

The Chiefs earned a hard-fought sweep with a 2-1 win over Brimley in the nightcap.

Earning the pitching win was Sean Postula, who struck out right, scattered three hits and walked one in six innings.

Coming up with the big Cheboygan hit was Schley, who laced a two-out, two-run single that gave the Chiefs a 2-0 lead in the top of the third. Luke Munger, Balazovic and Gomez each chipped in with a hit.

“Those are without a doubt two big wins,” Baller said. “Brimley is a good young team, they don’t stop. They keep playing, and for our kids to walk away with two wins was huge.”

Cheboygan continues action when it hosts Boyne City on Friday.

Comets earn two lopsided road victories

POSEN – The Mackinaw City baseball team cruised to 19-3 and 17-0 victories over Posen on Tuesday.

The Comets (14-4) received a 3-for-4 game one performance from Tanyon Pierce, who knocked in four runs and scored a run. Recording a hit apiece were Lucas Bergstrom (two RBIs, three runs), Braylon Currie (two RBIs, two runs), Nick Vieau (two RBIs), Tyler Hingston (two RBIs) and Trystan Swanson (three runs). Wesley House (RBI, two runs), Knox Wilson (four runs) and Mikey Sullivan (two runs) also contributed.

Sabastian Pierce was the winning pitcher, striking out four and allowing three hits in two innings.

Currie earned the pitching win in game two, striking out five and surrendering just one hit in four innings.

Sabastian Pierce went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and scored two runs, while Ben Strittmatter (double, RBI, two runs), Tanyon Pierce (RBI, two runs), Currie (two RBIs), Vieau (two RBIs) and Wilson (two runs) registered a hit apiece. Swanson and Sullivan each scored twice.

Softball Comets also pick up two wins

MACKINAW CITY – The Mackinaw City softball team earned a sweep at Posen, capturing 20-13 and 8-3 victories on Tuesday.

Abby Brown led the Comets (6-10) with a hit, an RBI and two runs scored, while Jersey Beauchamp added a hit and scored four times, Liz Kruczynski tallied a hit and two RBIs, and Poppy Wallace had a hit and an RBI. Also helping in the win were Gracie Beauchamp (two RBIs, three runs), Vanessa Groenewoud (three runs), Rian Esper (three runs) and Emily Kruczynski (three runs). Jersey Beauchamp was the winning pitcher, throwing four innings with one strikeout and three hits allowed. Groenewoud tossed the first two innings, striking out two and surrendering a hit.

Wallace’s hit and run scored lifted the Comets in game two. Brown scored two runs and Jersey Beauchamp knocked in a run. Jersey Beauchamp earned the pitching win again, striking out three and allowing two hits in three innings.

Pellston softball drops two at Central Lake

CENTRAL LAKE – The Pellston softball team suffered 13-11 and 21-18 losses at Central Lake on Wednesday.

Lanie Irwin took the loss on the mound in the opener, striking out 10. Allie Cameron, Breanna Willis and Irwin each singled offensively for Pellston.

In the nightcap, Irwin finished with three singles and an RBI, while Willis tripled, singled and knocked in a run, Sadie Keck doubled, singled and had an RBI, Ella Klungle recorded two singles and an RBI, and Paige Worthington and Mia Cesaro each singled. Keck was the losing pitcher, striking out six.

Cheboygan Middle School girls track wins Inland Lakes invite

INDIAN RIVER – The Cheboygan Middle School girls track and field team captured first place at the Inland Lakes Invitational on Tuesday.

The Cheboygan team finished with 98.5 total points, edging out Central Lake-Ellsworth, which recorded 93 points.

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 softball, baseball sweep past Brimley; Comet teams win