Three-peat! Cheboygan softball finishes off another dominant Straits Area campaign - Yahoo Sports
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Three-peat! Cheboygan softball finishes off another dominant Straits Area campaign

jared greenleaf, cheboygan daily tribune
·8 min read

NEWBERRY – It’s a three-peat for the Cheboygan softball team.

The Chiefs imposed their dominance once more, claiming a third consecutive Straits Area Conference title with 20-0 and 26-0 victories at Newberry on Monday.

“They were on a mission tonight,” Cheboygan coach Mike LaLonde said. “It’s great to win the conference championship. They really put the ball in play tonight, they hit everything hard. They were mentally prepared for these games, and they knew what they had to do to win the conference.”

Presley Chamberlain’s three doubles, a single and three runs scored fueled the Chiefs (21-9, 10-0 SAC) in the opener, while Hannah Whippo had two doubles and two runs scored, Libby VanFleet (three runs), Amelia Johnson (two runs) and Ella Kosanke (two runs) each doubled and singled. Emily Clark (double, three runs) and Emerson Eustice (triple, two runs) finished with a hit apiece, Marley Couture scored two runs and Jordan Ashley scored once.

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VanFleet was the winning pitcher, striking out eight and allowing no hits in three shutout innings.

Chamberlain nearly hit for the cycle in the nightcap, finishing with a triple, a double, a single and four runs scored, while Ashley had a double, three singles and four runs scored, Clark tallied a double, two singles and three runs scored, Tessa Lake recorded three singles and three runs scored, Eustice tripled, doubled and scored four runs, Couture doubled, singled and scored three runs, Whippo had two hits and scored two runs, and Kosanke tripled and scored two runs. VanFleet added a hit and Johnson scored a run.

Eustice pitched three perfect innings to earn the win, striking out eight.

Presley Chamberlain (18) and Amelia Johnson (7) helped lift Cheboygan softball to a third straight Straits Area Conference title by sweeping Newberry on Monday.
Presley Chamberlain (18) and Amelia Johnson (7) helped lift Cheboygan softball to a third straight Straits Area Conference title by sweeping Newberry on Monday.

Cheboygan plays at the Ogemaw Heights tournament on Saturday, May 18.

Bats erupt for Cheboygan baseball in sweep at Newberry

NEWBERRY – Offensively, it’s been a struggle at times this season for the Cheboygan baseball team.

But Monday wasn’t one of those days for the Chiefs, who unleashed their bats on Newberry in 16-0 and 13-0 victories during a Straits Area Conference doubleheader.

In the opener, the Chiefs (13-14, 7-3 SAC) were paced by Dylan Balazovic’s three hits, including a double, and four RBIs, while Blake Blaskowski ripped two doubles, had four RBIs and scored two runs, and Luke Munger tallied two hits, an RBI and two runs scored. Jacob Seaman (two RBIs, three runs) and Nolan Schley (RBI, two runs) added a hit apiece. Brennen Bradley (two RBIs), James Charboneau (RBI, two runs), Phoenix Gomez (RBI, run) and Patrick Smith (one run) also chipped in.

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Balazovic was the winning pitcher, striking out six and walking three in three no-hit innings.

Bradley, who doubled, led Cheboygan with three hits, four RBIs and two runs scored in game two. Chase Swanson (RBI, two runs) registered two hits and Schley (double, RBI, run) and Charlie Godfrey (RBI, run) had a hit apiece. Seaman (RBI, three runs) Balazovic (RBI), Warren Farver (two runs) and Blaskowski (run) rounded out Cheboygan.

Dylan Balazovic and Cheboygan baseball picked up two shutout wins at Newberry on Monday.
Dylan Balazovic and Cheboygan baseball picked up two shutout wins at Newberry on Monday.

Schley earned the win on the mound, striking out 10, surrendering just one hit and walking three in five innings.

Cheboygan hosts Gaylord on Thursday, which is parent night for the Chiefs.

Bulldogs keep rolling, sweep Central Lake at home

INDIAN RIVER – The Inland Lakes baseball team followed up last Friday’s sweep of Mancelona by sweeping Central Lake with 6-0 and 13-6 victories in a Ski Valley doubleheader on Monday.

Connor Wallace was the winning pitcher in game one for the Bulldogs (20-1, 11-1 Ski Valley Conference), striking out eight in four no-hit innings. Cash DePauw tossed two relief innings, striking out six.

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DePauw, who doubled, led the Bulldogs offensively with two hits, an RBI and two runs scored, while Andre Bradford tallied a hit, an RBI and two runs scored, Ty Kolly finished with a hit and two RBIs, and Wyatt Hanel and Aidan Fenstermaker each recorded a hit and an RBI.

Bradford tripled, doubled, had two RBIs and scored two runs for Inland Lakes in the nightcap. Hanel registered two hits, an RBI and two runs scored, Kolly had a hit, two RBIs and three runs scored, Fenstermaker added a hit, two RBIs and a run scored, Wallace scored two runs, and Elijah Perkins chipped in with an RBI and a run scored.

Fenstermaker earned the win on the mound, striking out eight and scattering three hits in 4 2/3 innings. Perkins pitched 1 1/3 innings, striking out two.

Inland Lakes heads to Rogers City on Wednesday.

Thompson’s grand slam highlights I-L softball sweep

INDIAN RIVER – The Inland Lakes softball team cruised to 17-0 and 20-0 victories over Central Lake in a Ski Valley Conference doubleheader on Monday.

I-L's game one rout was headlined by a grand slam home run from Lakyn Thompson, while Erica Taglauer doubled, singled and knocked in two runs, Eva Carper and Brooklyn LaBrecque recorded two singles apiece, Myla Thompson doubled, and Jenna Stubbs singled.

Senior Lakyn Thompson blasted a grand slam for Inland Lakes softball during a home sweep over Central Lake on Monday.
Senior Lakyn Thompson blasted a grand slam for Inland Lakes softball during a home sweep over Central Lake on Monday.

LaBrecque’s triple, single and five RBIs fueled the Bulldogs in the nightcap. Maggie Grant singled and had two RBIs, Myla Thompson registered two bunt singles and an RBI, Jenna Stubbs singled and added an RBI, and Adyson Fenstermaker singled.

Grant was the winning pitcher in both games, striking out seven, allowing one hit and walking one in three innings of game one, then followed it up with seven strikeouts and no hits allowed in three innings of the second contest.

Inland Lakes travels to Rogers City on Wednesday.

Onaway avenges game one loss, earns split at St. Mary

GAYLORD – The Onaway baseball team continues to make progress.

Despite suffering a close 4-3 game one loss to Gaylord St. Mary, the Cardinals responded with a 12-3 victory over the Snowbirds and earned a split in a Ski Valley Conference doubleheader on Monday.

Cole Selke was the winning pitcher for Onaway in game two, striking out four, allowing five hits and walking two in a six-inning complete game.

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Austin Veal finished with a hit, three RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Cardinals (11-6, 8-4 Ski Valley), who received a triple and two RBIs from Anthony Santiago, a hit, two RBIs and a run scored from Gavin Green, a hit, an RBI and two runs scored from Andrew Gulley, and a hit and two runs scored from Jackson Chaskey. Luke Lovelace (three runs), Selke (two runs) and Justin Kramer-St. Germain also helped in the win.

Veal’s two hits, two RBIs and one run scored led the Cardinals in the opener, while Selke doubled and scored a run, and Dylan Szymoniak and Chaskey each added a hit. Gavin Green recorded an RBI.

Szymoniak took the loss on the mound, striking out six, scattering six hits and walking one in five innings.

Onaway softball wins opener, splits with Snowbirds

GAYLORD – The Onaway softball team used a big offensive performance and solid pitching to capture a 13-0 victory at Gaylord St. Mary in game one of a Ski Valley Conference doubleheader on Monday.

Layla Box was Onaway’s winning pitcher in the opener, striking out four and allowing one hit in five innings.

Charlotte Box’s two doubles, two RBIs and two runs led the Cardinals’ offense, which received two hits apiece from Kailyn George (double, two RBIs, two runs), Ema DeMaestri (three runs) and Layla Box (double). Sadie Decker (RBI, two runs), Marley Szymoniak (two runs) and Carley Karsten (RBI) added a hit apiece.

However, the Cardinals (8-10) fell short of picking up the sweep after losing a 12-11 game two. Charlotte Box had another impressive display by finishing with four hits, including a double, knocking in three runs and scoring twice. George (two RBIs, two runs) and Decker (two runs) recorded two hits apiece, while Karsten (two RBIs, run), Szymoniak (two runs) and Layla Box (RBI) chipped in with a hit each. Lesley Lalonde added an RBI and scored a run.

Charlotte Box was the losing pitcher, striking out two and scattering four hits in 2 2/3 innings. Layla Box tossed 3 1/3 relief innings, striking out two and allowing seven hits.

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 earns SAC three-peat; Inland Lakes, Onaway teams win