Cheboygan baseball seals SAC repeat with sweep at Newberry

NEWBERRY – It’s another Straits Area Conference title for the Cheboygan baseball team.  

On Monday, the Chiefs sealed a second consecutive SAC crown after capturing 14-2 and 4-0 victories in a road doubleheader.  

“I’m happy for the boys, (winning the conference title is) one of the things they talked about at the beginning of the year,” said Cheboygan coach Kevin Baller. “Just overall excited for them. I know it’s a good feeling, and a chance to put another banner and number up in the rafters. I know they’re pretty excited about it, too.” 

Senior Tyler Balazovic fueled the Chiefs (22-1-1, 10-0) SAC with a strong pitching performance in game one, striking out 11, walking four and allowing just one hit in five innings of work.  

The Chiefs had a solid offensive game as well, as Balazovic finished with three hits and two RBI, Kaleb Blaskowski tallied three hits and an RBI, Daniel Wilcome had two hits, including a triple, and knocked in a run. Cole Hudson, Jacob Jankoviak and Sean Postula each recorded two hits and an RBI. Henry Stempky knocked in two runs.  

In the nightcap, the Chiefs were led offensively by Wilcome, who finished with two hits, including a double. Stempky also doubled, while Jankoviak and Hudson both had hits. Tommy Jones and Dylan Balazovic each knocked in a run.  

Blaskowski was the winning pitcher, tossing four innings with six strikeouts, two walks and one hit allowed. Jankoviak, who started, pitched two innings with three strikeouts, five hits and three walks.  

With the 1-2 punch of Stempky and Wilcome not throwing on Monday, it provided an opportunity for Cheboygan’s other pitchers to show they’re pretty strong as well.  

In the end, Baller was pleased with what he saw on the mound.  

“Tyler started off for us and did a phenomenal job with 11 strikeouts,” Baller said. “He kept the hitters off-balance, and then Kaleb Blaskowski came in with the bases loaded in the third inning with nobody out and just did a phenomenal job of getting us out of that jam. He struck out a kid and turned a double play on the next pitch, so just awesome to see. Outstanding job by our pitchers tonight.” 

For the Chiefs, cohesiveness has been vital in their SAC title run. 

“They just play well together,” Baller said. “They don’t let things bother them. When they make a mistake, they just move on to the next play, and I think that pays dividends down the road. They’re a joy to be around, they have a lot of fun together, and they enjoy playing the game of baseball.” 

Cheboygan heads to St. Ignace for a doubleheader on Wednesday. 

Chiefs thrash Newberry, improve to 8-0 in Straits 

CHEBOYGAN – The push for a Straits Area Conference championship continued on Monday for the Cheboygan softball team, which smashed Newberry 22-0 and 18-1 in a doubleheader sweep on the road.  

“I’m very happy with how they played,” said Cheboygan coach Mike LaLonde. “It was one of those games tonight where the other team had a tough time throwing strikes, but when they did, we’d hit the ball really hard. It was great to see.” 

The SAC-unbeaten Chiefs (14-7, 8-0) were led in game one by Libby VanFleet, who tripled, knocked in two runs and scored three runs, while Marley Couture and Shayla LaVigne each had a hit, knocked in two runs and scored twice. Also adding hits were Ashlynn Beaudry (RBI), Cheyanne Friday (four runs), Kayla Draper and Jackie Seaman. Emerson Eustice had an RBI and scored two runs.  

In three perfect innings on the mound, VanFleet earned the pitching win for Cheboygan with five strikeouts.  

The hot hitting was there again in the nightcap from the Chiefs, who received two hits, four RBI and a run scored from Amelia Johnson, a double, three RBI and a run scored from Beaudry, a triple, two RBI and two runs scored from LaVigne, a hit, two RBI and three runs scored from Friday, a triple and three runs scored from Draper, a hit, an RBI and three runs scored from Jenna Webber, a hit, an RBI and two runs scored from Eustice, and a hit and an RBI from Couture.  

Johnson was the winning pitcher for the Chiefs, striking out four and allowing one hit in three innings of work.  

Cheboygan continues its SAC slate when it travels to St. Ignace on Wednesday.