Finishing with a flourish, Blackhawks win five of six

Cheney High's baseball team came close to repeating last year's regular season finish over the final four games of 2018.

Needing to win their final six games to have a shot at emerging at season's end as Great Northern League champions, the Blackhawks won five of those final six, three of four in two doubleheaders last week, to jump into second place. With a little help, Cheney - which has wrapped up its regular season schedule - could remain there, and at worst finish no lower than third.

After sweeping East Valley in an April 20 doubleheader, the Blackhawks drastically enhanced their playoff seeding with another doubleheader sweep, this time of visiting Clarkston last Tuesday, April 24, downing the Bantams 6-3 in the opener and 10-0 in the nightcap. The sweep helped Cheney jump over two teams into second, and knocked the then-second place Bantams down to fourth.

Cheney stretched their winning streak to five with a 7-3 win in game one of a doubleheader at league-leading Pullman on Saturday, April 3, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh for a little insurance.

Julian Chabot struck out seven to get the complete game win on the mound. Devin Cook and Koby Holt each had a pair of hits, Cook's being a double and a triple.

In the nightcap, hits were at a premium. In fact, Cheney couldn't collect any as Pullman pitchers Jake Wells and Konner Kinkade shutdown the Blackhawks offense for a combined no-hitter in the Greyhounds' 1-0 win.

Cheney completes the regular season at 7-5 in the GNL, 9-9 overall. The sweep over Clarkston (5-5, 9-9) gives Cheney the season series and the third-place tiebreaker should the Bantams sweep East Valley (1-9, 1-17) in their final two games on May 1.

With West Valley's 5-4 road win at Pullman (8-3,16-1), the Eagles (7-5, 11-8) nab the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Great Northern League playoffs.

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