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Inland Lakes, Mackinaw City baseball open with victories; area track season starts up

HARRISVILLE – The Inland Lakes baseball team started off its season in style, sweeping Alcona with 9-1 and 10-5 victories on the road Saturday.

I-L senior pitcher Connor Wallace earned the win in the opener, striking out eight and allowing no hits in three innings. Wyatt Shovan tossed three relief innings, striking out four.

Aidan Fenstermaker led the way offensively, finishing with two hits, three RBIs and two runs scored, while Wallace had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored, Logan McMullen added two RBIs, Andre Bradford knocked in a run, and Cash DePauw scored a run.

Fenstermaker was the winning pitcher in game two, striking out five in two innings of work. Depauw also threw two innings, striking out four.

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Wallace and Fenstermaker each had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored, while Elijah Perkins tallied a hit and an RBI. DePauw chipped in with a hit and McMullen scored three runs.

Aidan Fenstermaker and the Inland Lakes baseball team started their 2024 season with a successful sweep at Alcona on Saturday.
Aidan Fenstermaker and the Inland Lakes baseball team started their 2024 season with a successful sweep at Alcona on Saturday.

Inland Lakes welcomes rival Onaway for a Ski Valley Conference doubleheader on Tuesday.

Comets sweep past Alanson in first doubleheader

MACKINAW CITY – It’s rare that a Northern Michigan spring sports team opens its season on time.

But thankfully for Mackinaw City baseball, it started right on schedule and captured a doubleheader sweep over Alanson with 16-1 and 7-4 home victories on Friday.

Braylon Currie’s two hits, two RBIs and a run scored paced the Comets (2-0) in the opener. Others adding hits included Trystan Swanson (three RBIs, three runs), Lucas Bergstrom (two RBIs, run) and Nick Vieau (RBI). Tanyon Pierce (three runs), Tyler Hingston (RBI), Knox Wilson (two runs), Kyle Valot (two runs) and Sabastian Pierce (run) also contributed.

Pierce won on the mound, striking out six in two innings. Vieau struck out three batters in one inning of relief.

Comets tallying hits in game two were Swanson (two runs), Wilson (run), Bergstrom (run), Pierce (RBI), Ben Strittmatter (run) and Jacob Sroka (RBI). Rounding out Mackinaw City were Wesley House (run), Hingston (RBI) and Valot (run).

Swanson was the winning pitcher, tossing two relief innings with three strikeouts and two hits scattered. Sroka earned the save with three strikeouts in one inning.

“The back half of our lineup really stepped up offensively tonight and we put a ton of balls in play,” Mackinaw City coach Elijah May said. “Alanson is much improved from where they were two seasons ago when they brought their program back, and we have a great competitive relationship with those guys.”

Mackinaw City hosts Central Lake on Tuesday.

Cheboygan’s Sidlauskas earns first at Yooper indoor meet

SAULT STE. MARIE – Cheboygan’s Lucas Sidlauskas earned a first-place finish in the shot put (45-6) at the Yooper Invitational indoor track and field meet at Lake Superior State University on Friday.

Sidlauskas led the Cheboygan boys, who tied for ninth with 12 points.

For the Cheboygan girls (26), who took eighth, Bella Ecker finished third in the high jump (4-10), while Ava Bury earned fourth in the 800 (2:50) and Samantha Harke was fourth in the 3200 (13:27). The 4X400 relay team of Ecker, Bury, Olivia Patrick and Cheyenne Friday recorded fifth at 4:51.04. Patrick tied for sixth in the high jump (4-6).

The Inland Lakes boys (ninth, 12) saw Sam Schoonmaker place third in the high jump (5-6), while the 4X400 relay team of Tanner Howard, Dylan Zinke, Schoonmaker and Jake Feagan took third at 4:00.50.

Registering fifth in the 3200 was Elizabeth Furman (13:33), who led the Inland Lakes girls (11th, 10.5). Chloe Robinson finished sixth in the shot put (30-4) and high jump (4-6).

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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: Inland Lakes, Mackinaw City baseball win openers, track season begins