Charlevoix baseball earns outright LMC title, PHS softball closes 2023 season
HARBOR SPRINGS — On Tuesday, almost everyone around northern Michigan on baseball and softball fields shifted their focus to the postseason.
Almost everyone. The Charlevoix baseball team still had some unfinished business to take care of first.
The Rayders made the trip over to Harbor Springs Tuesday, where they wrapped up the regular season with a Lake Michigan Conference outright title and a sweep over the Rams.
Charlevoix earned wins of 11-0 and 8-0 to improve to 12-2 within the LMC, along with 27-5-1 overall on the year.
The Rayders collected 15 hits in the 11-run victory, with AJ Speigle going 2 for 4 with a triple and RBI. Owen Waha went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, Troy Nickel went 3 for 4 with an RBI, Dylan Clapp went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and Hunter Lemerand also drove in two runs.
Patrick Sterrett earned the win over four and a third with eight strikeouts, while Bryce Johnson struck out five over an inning and two thirds.
Jackson Deegan collected the lone hit for Harbor Springs.
In game two, Speigl went 3 for 3 with two RBIs, three runs scored and a double, Waha went 2 for 3 with a double and four RBIs, Lemerand singled and doubled and Nickel did the same.
Waha and Nickel also each went three innings, with Waha striking out six and earning the win and Nickel sending down four on strikes.
Brady Keiser singled twice for the Rams in game two.
Charlevoix next hosts districts on Saturday, June 3 with a semifinal matchup against Mancelona to start at Noon, followed by a 2 p.m. district final if they come out victorious in the opener.
Harbor Springs next meets Harbor Light Christian at home on Saturday in districts at 10 a.m., with a district final then set for 2 p.m. as well.
D3 DISTRICT
Elk Rapids 9, Boyne City 1
BOYNE CITY — The 2023 season came to a close for the Boyne City baseball team Tuesday when they welcomed in Elk Rapids and fell in a 9-1 final in their Division 3 district.
Close after the first couple innings, a six pack of runs by the Elks in the fifth broke the game open.
The Ramblers collected seven hits i the game, though they also left seven on base.
Will Brown doubled, singled and drove in the lone run, Mason Wilcox went 2 for 3 with a run scored, then Gavin Hewitt, Jack Paquette and Owen Hewitt collected the other hits.
Kacey Gray took the loss with four strikeouts and Paquette went three innings and struck out five as well.
Boyne City closed out a 10-16-2 record for the season.
D4 DISTRICT
Harbor Light 12, Burt Lake NMCA 2
HARBOR SPRINGS — Harbor Light Christian baseball kept the season going with a Division 4 district victory over Burt Lake NMCA Tuesday at Harbor Springs.
"We did what we were supposed to do tonight,” Harbor Light coach Josh Ernst said. “Now we need to gear up for some tough baseball games on Saturday."
The Swordsmen earned a 12-2 mercy rule win, leaning on Derk Boerman’s eight strikeouts over four innings. Will Paulus also struck out two in the fifth.
Paulus also went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Ayden burns tripled for the Swordsmen.
Harbor Light will next meet Harbor Springs at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 3 in a district semifinal matchup. The district championship game is also set for 2 p.m. Saturday, with the district also including Inland Lakes and Alanson.
NON-CONFERENCE
East Jordan at Pellston
PELLSTON — The East Jordan baseball team got in a tuneup before districts begin Saturday, topping Pellston in wins of 17-1 and 14-4.
In the opener, the Red Devils had Ethan Thomas single and triple with two RBIs, Steven Anderson had a three-run double, Korbyn Russell singled and doubled and drove in two and Hunter Cesario singled and doubled and had an RBI.
In game two, Russell doubled twice, singled and had three RBIs, Reid singled three times and drove in two and Brenden Aenis doubled in a run.
East Jordan closed the season 22-6 and meets Ellsworth in Central Lake at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 3 in its Division 4 district.
SOFTBALL
D2 DISTRICT
Gaylord 15, Petoskey 0
GAYLORD — The end of the 2023 campaign for the Petoskey softball team came Tuesday in Gaylord during their Division 2 district matchup and with it, the end of a Northmen era.
In a 15-0 win for the Division 2 No. 1 ranked Blue Devils, PHS head coach Dave Serafini coached his final game after 25 years with the program, including 22 as varsity head coach.
After 442 wins and over 700 games coached, Serafini felt like it was time.
“It’ll feel weird for me,” said Serafini on not being around the team anymore. “I’m not sure how I’ll feel that second week of March when we always have our first day of full team workouts. For me, that always felt like Christmas morning. I was always excited about that. I know I’m going to miss that, but it’s time.”
Gaylord has been a formidable foe throughout the season, improving to 32-2 on the year and proved to be once again as well.
Katie Hansen tripled and Kristen Shaw and Alexis Cadarette each singled for Petoskey.
Also closing out a notable career with Petoskey was senior Kenzie Bromley, who exits her career with a handful of hitting records, including season average and career and single-season home runs. The Kent State signee closed the 2023 season hitting 18 homers, while driving in 57 runs.
Gaylord will next meet the No. 2 ranked team in Division 2 in the district semifinal Saturday, putting the state’s top two teams up against each other.
D4 DISTRICT
Mackinaw City 13, St. Ignace 3
RUDYARD — Marlie Postula struck out nine and allowed just two hits for the Mackinaw City softball team Tuesday, advancing the Comets within their Rudyard hosted Division 4 district.
The Comets earned a 13-3 victory behind Postula, along with some timely hits at the plate.
Madison Smith tripled, drove in three runs and scored two, Julia Sullivan tripled and had two RBIs, Kenzlie Currie singled, doubled and drove in one run and Vanessa Groenewoud had an RBI. Poppy Wallace also singled twice and scored three runs.
The win advances the Comets to a 10 a.m., Friday, June 2 district semifinal at Rudyard against Pickford.
D4 DISTRICT
Harbor Light 13, Burt Lake NMCA 1
HARBOR SPRINGS — Clare Zielinski struck out nine batters to help the Harbor Light Christian softball team advance to a Division 4 district semifinal Saturday.
Harbor Light topped Burt Lake NMCA 13-1 in Tuesday’s opener, with everyone scoring on the base paths for the Lady Swordsmen.
Harbor Light next meets Alanson at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 3 in Harbor Springs. A win puts them in a 2 p.m. district championship game.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Charlevoix baseball earns outright LMC title, PHS softball closes 2023 season
