Cheboygan baseball, softball swept by Elk Rapids, compete in Boyne City tourney on Saturday
CHEBOYGAN — Despite staging a furious rally to tie things up in game one, the Cheboygan softball team suffered a 12-11 loss to Elk Rapids in a home doubleheader on Friday.
Down 10-3, the Chiefs battled back to tie the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning. However, the Elks scored twice in the top of the seventh and held on for a hard-fought win.
Tessa Lake (triple, three RBIs, two runs) and Ella Kosanke (four runs) finished with two hits each to lead the Chiefs, who received a hit apiece from Emily Clark (two RBIs, run), Nataleigh Blaisdell (RBI, run), Emerson Eustice (RBI) and Hannah Whippo (run). Marley Couture had an RBI and scored a run.
Jordan Ashley was the losing pitcher, pitching all seven innings and striking out three.
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In the nightcap, Cheboygan dropped a 9-5 contest. Amelia Johnson took the loss on the mound, striking out one, allowing 10 hits and walking one in six innings.
Ashley’s two hits and an RBI paced the Chiefs. Johnson and Clark each had a hit and an RBI, Couture and Blaisdell each registered a hit and scored a run, and Eustice scored a run.
“I’m very happy with the way the girls played and how our two pitchers stepped up tonight, being good team players,” Cheboygan coach Mike LaLonde said. “The girls had a great comeback in the first game, but we just couldn’t seem to come up with that big hit to win either game. We had chances in both. But overall, I thought the girls did a nice job.”
Cheboygan played three more games in Boyne City on Saturday, capturing a 10-4 victory over Marquette but losing to Standish-Sterling, 3-2, and Boyne City, 8-7.
Against Marquette, Eustice hit a solo homer and scored two runs. Eustice was also the winning pitcher, striking out eight in five innings. Adding two hits apiece were Ashley (two runs), Clark (run), Couture (run) and Blaisdell. Kosanke (two runs), Lake (double, RBI) and Whippo (run) each recorded a hit.
Despite being the losing pitcher, Cheboygan's Libby VanFleet struck out 11 batters against Standish-Sterling. Clark (double, two runs) and Eustice each finished with two hits, while Kosanke and Johnson both registered a hit.
In the matchup against Boyne City, Johnson went 4-for-4 with a double and a run scored, Couture was 3-for-4, and Eustice (double, run) registered two hits. Clark (double, two runs), Ashley (double) and Blaisdell (run) each chipped in with a hit. Kosanke scored a run.
Eustice took the loss on the mound, striking out five batters in eight innings pitched.
“All in all, it was a good weekend,” LaLonde said. “The girls really battled. We had chances to win both (of the games we lost). That’s all I can ask for. Give yourself a chance to win and they did that.”
Cheboygan hosts Pickford on Monday.
In junior varsity action, Cheboygan swept Elk Rapids with 26-4 and 10-5 victories on Friday.
Bea Schulz’s four hits led Cheboygan in game one, while Laney Marsh had three hits, Aubrey Mastin and Mackenzie Stockman each had two hits, and Jenna Dodder and Avery Crawford tallied a hit apiece. Amber Gahn was the winning pitcher, striking out two.
In game two, Dodder and Schulz both recorded two hits for the Chiefs. Abi Babcock, Gahn, Marsh and Stockman each had a hit. Crawford earned the win on the mound, striking out eight in five innings.
On Saturday, Cheboygan won the Alpena tournament with a 19-10 victory over Alpena, followed by a 13-8 win over Harbor Springs.
Against Alpena, Dodder and Babcock had three hits apiece for Cheboygan, which received two hits each from Makaela Steiner, Schulz, Marsh and Stockman. Mastin and Crawford each had a hit. Gahn was the winning pitcher, striking out five in six innings.
Mastin and Babcock paced Cheboygan with two hits each against Harbor Springs, while Marsh and Gahn chipped in with a hit apiece. Crawford earned the win on the mound, striking out six in four innings.
Chiefs edged in game one, fall well short in nightcap
CHEBOYGAN — The Cheboygan baseball team suffered 4-3 and 8-2 setbacks in a home doubleheader against Elk Rapids on Friday.
In a tight first contest, James Charboneau led the Chiefs with a hit and a run scored, while Patrick Smith had a hit, an RBI and a run scored, James Seaman added a hit and an RBI, and Sean Postula and Brennan Bradley chipped in with a hit each.
Chase Swanson (one strikeout) took the loss on the mound. Other pitchers picking up strikeouts were Dylan Balazovic (four), Charlie Godfrey (three), Nolan Schley (two) and Charboneau (one).
Swanson’s hit and a run scored led the Chiefs in the nightcap. Seaman recorded a hit, Bradley knocked in two runs, and Charboneau scored a run.
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Blake Blaskowski was the losing pitcher, striking out one and allowing four hits in 2 2/3 innings. Smith tossed 1 1/3 relief innings, striking out two.
Cheboygan competed at the Boyne City tournament on Saturday, opening with a 4-2 victory over Marquette.
Postula was the winning pitcher, striking out three and allowing one hit in two innings. Balazovic tossed three relief innings, striking out two.
Bradley led Cheboygan’s offense with two hits and an RBI, while Blaskowski (RBI, run), Balazovic (RBI) and Schley (run) each generated a hit. Smith scored a run.
In a 7-1 loss to Sault Ste. Marie, Blaskowski (double, run) led the Chiefs with two hits. Bradley also registered a hit. Schley took the loss on the mound, allowing five hits in three innings. Swanson struck out two in one relief inning.
Cheboygan ended its day with a 17-1 loss to Rudyard. Postula and Smith added a hit apiece for the Chiefs. Charboneau scored a run. Charboneau was the losing pitcher, striking out two and scattering six hits in two innings.
Cheboygan (4-9) takes on Pickford at home on Monday.
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 baseball, softball suffer doubleheader sweeps to Elk Rapids
