By John McCallum
Managing Editor 

Blackhawks sweep East Valley to stay in GNL playoff hunt

 

Last updated 4/26/2018 at 1:09pm



Cheney High’s baseball team is hoping lightning really does strike twice in the same spot.

Last year the Blackhawks swept Pullman in a season-ending doubleheader, wins that led to three more to win the District 7 title and trip to state. Cheney head coach Glenn Chamberlain doesn’t think his team is in that spot just yet, but with a sweep last Friday of East Valley, the Blackhawks are hoping they’re on their way to a repeat of last season’s ending — and possibly more.

“The way it sits right now, we’ve got a chance to reach our goals,” Chamberlain said.

Cheney got an efficient pitching performance in game one against East Valley from Peyton McPherson. The sophomore needed just 83 pitches to record a complete-game win as the Blackhawks downed the Knights 3-1.

Luke Martin was 2 for 2 to lead Cheney in hitting, both doubles. Martin doubled in the second and scored on Dylan Arthur’s one-out single tying the game at one.


In the fourth, Martin doubled, Koby Holt singled and both scored on Jake Berman’s double as Cheney made the most of its six hits.

The Blackhawks bats came alive in game two, pounding out 11 hits in Cheney’s 7-3 win. Martin was 2 for 4, and the Blackhawks benefited from six walks by East Valley pitching. Holt started the game on the mound, with Arthur coming on in the fourth inning for the win.

Chamberlain said the difference in hitting between the two games was patience, something the Blackhawks had more of in game two. He also said he and his coaching staff pushed the players to be more aggressive.


“We talked to the guys about when you get up on a team that’s when you need to keep pushing,” Chamberlain said.

The doubleheader sweep was a little salve for the wound Cheney suffered last Tuesday at West Valley. After falling behind 5-2, the Blackhawks rallied to take an 8-6 lead against the Eagles with two runs in the top of the seventh.

But after getting the first out in West Valley’s final at bat, Cheney couldn’t close the door as the Eagles themselves rallied, scoring three runs for the 9-8 win. West Valley was helped by a Cheney error in the frame, one of four on the day.

Julian Chabot took the loss in relief of starter Jonny Owings. Devin Cook led Cheney at the plate with three hits, with McPherson, Berman and Arthur each getting two.

Chamberlain said the loss to West Valley “hurt, especially in the standings.” Cheney currently sits in fourth place at 4-4, 6-7 overall while the Eagles are in third at 5-4, 9-8.

The Blackhawks have a chance to climb in the standings with wins in their final four games, but they’ll have to do it against the Great Northern League’s two top teams: Pullman and Clarkston. Cheney hosted the second-place Bantams (6-3, 8-3) in a doubleheader Tuesday, April 24, and wraps up the regular season Saturday, April 28, with a doubleheader in Pullman against the first-place Greyhounds, 6-2, 13-3.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.

Hawks Box

Author Bio

John McCallum, Retired editor

John McCallum is an award-winning journalist who retired from Cheney Free Press after more than 20 years. He received 10 Washington Newspaper Publisher Association awards for journalism and photography, including first place awards for Best Investigative, Best News and back-to-back awards in Best Breaking News categories.

 

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