Cheboygan softball sweeps Sault, puts finishing touches on unbeaten SAC campaign

CHEBOYGAN – The long journey to a Straits Area Conference title is now complete for the Cheboygan Chiefs softball team.  

With the season-long goal of recapturing the SAC crown, the Chiefs sealed an unbeaten league campaign by earning 8-2 and 21-9 victories over Sault Ste. Marie in Cheboygan on Tuesday.  

“It’s definitely a great thing that we’ve accomplished,” said outfielder Jackie Seaman, one of many seniors on the Cheboygan squad. “We won the conference when I was a freshman, but since then we haven’t been able to win it, and so it was definitely a great experience. We all came together and had a lot of fun playing, and we’ve been on kind of a winning streak, so it’s definitely been nice. 

“We’re definitely having a lot of fun. The girls are coming together and we’re still tight. Sometimes at this time of the season we start falling apart, but we’re really coming together as a team, which is really nice.” 

It was also a special day for Cheboygan coach Mike LaLonde, who guided the Chiefs to SAC glory in his first season back with the program.  

“The seniors had a few tears in their eyes with it being their last time on the field,” said LaLonde. “They played well. They come away with a conference title, and that was one of their goals for them. It’s great for the program. It just gives the younger players confidence, seeing the program go like this. Last year we lost the conference, so this is a satisfying feeling.”  

The red-hot Chiefs (22-7), who have now won 10 in a row, once again came up big with their bats, scoring a combined 29 runs in the two contests.

Leading the Cheboygan attack in game one were Libby VanFleet and Marley Couture, who both ripped two doubles, as well as Amelia Johnson, who added two hits. Also smacking doubles were Zoey Chamberlain, Kaitlyn Penfield and Seaman, while Shayla LaVigne and Cheyanne Friday each added a hit.  

Setting the game one tone on the mound was VanFleet, who struck out 12 and allowed seven hits in a seven-inning complete game performance.  

“(VanFleet) pitched a great game,” LaLonde said. “She was throwing hard, throwing a lot of strikes. She pitched a really good game. We wanted to go after that first one right off the bat. She helped us in the game there, and we got her some runs.” 

Having a terrific final game on the home Cheboygan field was senior Jenna Webber, who led the Chiefs with a 4-for-5 performance in the nightcap. Picking up three-hit games were Chamberlain (double) and Cesley Stranaly, while Ashlynn Beaudry, Emerson Eustice, LaVigne (double) and Penfield finished with two hits apiece. Kayla Draper, Johnson (double) and Seaman (double) each registered a hit. 

Johnson was Cheboygan’s game two winning pitcher, striking out 10, allowing seven hits and walking two in six innings pitched. VanFleet, who tossed the last inning, struck out one and allowed a hit.  

The celebration was exciting for the Chiefs, whose strong team chemistry can’t be overlooked in what’s been a terrific season.  

“It’s amazing, we have so much fun in the dugout, our coaches, we have so much fun together,” Seaman said. “It’s amazing to see Coach LaLonde with a smile on his face, that’s for sure. He’s so proud of us. When we won our tournament in Kingsley, he had the biggest smile on his face. He was in tears.  

“It’s definitely amazing to see someone care so much about us succeeding.” 

With momentum continuing to build, the Chiefs have the belief they can battle with – and perhaps knock off – any foe they face once the postseason rolls around.   

“I think our tournament in Kingsley was a big turning point for us, because the teams we played were not easy teams. We actually had real competition,” Seaman said. “Especially coming off games where we’ve been mercying teams a lot, it was good to have hard competition but still come out on top. That was very good for us.” 

Tuesday was also the proper sendoff for a tight-knit Cheboygan senior class.  

“It was definitely emotional,” Seaman said. “We had a little senior night in-between our games and none of us were expecting that, so coming off that (game one) win was amazing,” Seaman said. “After the game we all huddled at home plate, got a picture, and then had a little talk, just us seniors, and that was nice, for sure.  

“It’s crazy because we’ve been playing since tee-ball. We’ve all been on the same team for so long, so it’s just been great that we’re still here and we're able to celebrate a victory.” 

Cheboygan hosts Rogers City in its regular season finale on Thursday, then will open up postseason play with a Division 2 district first-round clash with Marquette in Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday, May 31, at 4 p.m.