Bullock Creek’s baseball team clinched a share of its third consecutive conference championship on Monday, sweeping Standish-Sterling 2-1 in 10 innings and 10-4 to improve to 6-0 in the Tri-Valley Conference White.
The Lancers have only a doubleheader against Carrollton remaining on their conference schedule and have at least a two-game lead on everyone else in the TVC White.
“I’m really proud of the kids. … Our seniors have won three conference championships in a row, (which is a) really great accomplishment,” said Creek coach Scott Madill.
Layke Hornung got the win in relief in game one, pitching the final 1 2/3 innings and allowing no runs on no hits and one walk.
Creek starter Nathan Masar went 8 1/3 strong innings, giving up one run on only four hits and one walk, while striking out nine in taking a no-decision.
Hornung also came up big at the plate, doubling and scoring the game-tying run in the fifth inning, then driving in Jason Nelson for the game-winning run in the 10th after Nelson had tripled.
Hornung had two hits in the game, while Masar also doubled, and Caden Tate had a run batted in.
Andrew Young earned the win in game two, going five innings and allowing four runs, two earned, on two hits and four walks. He struck out eight.
Bo Schwartz had three hits and scored three times for the Lancers, while Masar had two hits and scored twice, and Zane Schwartz also had two hits.
“Two really tough games. Standish always is a team that is hard to put away and will battle you. They are a really well-coached team that does not give you an inch,” Madill noted.
“Well-played game by both teams in the first game, other than a couple of mistakes by us on the basepaths,” he added. “We hung in there and found a way to win it in the 10th. In the second game, we managed to string together some hits after in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to pull away after Standish had an early lead.”
The Lancers (22-3-1 overall) will head to Meridian on Wednesday.
DOW SOCCER BLANKS POWERS, WILL FACE GRAND BLANC FOR VALLEY TITLE
Dow High earned an opportunity to play for a league championship with a 2-0 win over Flint Powers in Saginaw Valley League girls’ soccer on Monday.
The Chargers improve to 11-3-4 overall and 8-0-2 in the SVL and will host Grand Blanc (8-0-1 SVL) on Wednesday with the Valley title on the line.
On Monday, Melanie Kolnitys collected a loose ball and scored from 25 yards out on a high-arching shot to give Dow a 1-0 halftime lead. Then, in the 72nd minute, Kolnitys passed to Rachael Ieuter, who scored for the final margin.
Chargers’ goalkeeper Jessica Erickson had eight saves to earn the shutout.
“It was a great win over a good Flint Powers Team. Our last Valley game is on Wednesday against a good Grand Blanc team. This is a matchup of two top-15 teams … and a shot for a league title on the line,” said Dow coach Spender Sandow.
“I’m proud of the girls’ efforts all season, and I’m excited that they have given themselves an opportunity to win the SVL on Wednesday night,” he added.
CHEMICS SWEEP LAPEER IN BASEBALL
Midland High swept Lapeer 5-3 and 11-1 in five innings in Saginaw Valley League baseball on Monday.
The Chemics scored twice in the bottom of the second inning and three times in the third to build an early 5-0 lead in game one before the Lightning countered with one run in the fourth inning and two in the fifth for the final margin.
Owen Wendt picked up the complete-game win, allowing five hits and striking out eight.
Brett Faccio had two hits and a run batted in for Midland, while Lane Kloha also had two hits, and Aidan O’Malley and Wendt each had an RBI.
The Chemics jumped out to another early lead in the nightcap, plating three runs, including one on an RBI double by O’Malley, in the first inning. Midland then erupted for six in the second inning to make it 9-0, as Kloha, O’Malley, Ben Haney, and Noah Wall each drove in runs in the rally.
The Chemics added a run in the third to extend to a 10-0 lead. Lapeer scored its lone run in the top of the fourth to cut it to 10-1, but MHS answered with a run in the bottom half to invoke the mercy rule.
Faccio got the win, going three innings and allowing no runs on two hits and no walks, while striking out four.
Ethan Klaffer had two hits for the Chemics.
Midland (18-9 overall, 13-5 SVL) will head to Saginaw Heritage on Thursday.
CHARGERS WIN BIG OVER WOLVES
Dow High swept Bay City Central 15-0 in four innings and 14-2 in six innings in Saginaw Valley League baseball on Monday.
Nick Bond got the win in game one, going all four innings and allowing three hits.
Tom Bacigalupo went 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs batted in for the Chargers, while Rex Dingman went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs, Jake Szajenko also went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs, and Jackson Larson added three RBIs.
Szajenko earned the win in game two, pitching five innings and allowing one run on three hits with six strikeouts.
Szajenko also led the way at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs, while Dingman had two hits with another homer and three RBIs, Zack Parker had two hits and three RBIs, and Jack Bakus added two hits and two RBIs.
Dow (17-11 overall, 11-9 SVL) will head to Flint Powers on Wednesday.
MIDLAND SOFTBALL ROUTS LIGHTNING
Midland High swept Lapeer 14-3 in six innings and 24-9 in five innings in Saginaw Valley League softball on Monday.
Grace Schloop got the win in game one, going all six innings and allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks, while striking out 16.
At the plate, Schloop went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double, three runs batted in, and two runs scored, while Morgan Stewart also went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and scored twice, Kiara Kiely went 3-for-4 with a homer and an RBI and scored twice, and Hayden Purvis added two hits and drove in two runs.
Schloop’s homer was her seventh of the season and 25th of her prep career, extending her program record for career homers.
Bella Sullivan homered and drove in two runs, while Morgan Williams walked three times and scored three times, and Ellie Stevens doubled and had an RBI.
Rachel Mecca got the win in game two, going the distance and giving up two earned runs on 12 hits.
Stewart went 3-for-5 with a homer, six RBIs, and three runs scored, while Sullivan went 4-for-4 with a homer and a double, four RBIs, and four runs scored, and Purvis went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and scored four times.
Schloop went 1-for-2 with three walks and scored three times, while Addie Edwards went 1-for-1 with four walks and two RBIs, Stevens doubled and scored three times, and Mecca doubled and drove in a run.
The Chemics (18-4 overall, 9-3 SVL) will head to Bay City Central on Wednesday.
DOW SOFTBALL SWEEPS BCC
Dow High swept Bay City Central 10-9 and 14-8 in Saginaw Valley League softball on Monday.
Delaney Belding got the complete-game win in game one, allowing three earned runs on 15 hits and two walks, while striking out six.
At the plate, Belding went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double and six runs batted in, while Karis Galus went 3-for-4 with a triple and four runs scored, Ella Stoney went 3-for-4 with a pair of triples and scored three times, and Cooper Lundquist went 2-for-3 with a double.
Stoney earned the win in the nightcap, going 4 1/3 innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
At the plate, Stoney went 4-for-5 with a triple, two RBIs, and three runs scored, while Selah Tonk went 3-for-4 with three doubles and drove in two runs, and Belding doubled.
“Both wins were rough. Central didn’t give up all night. We had to battle,” said Dow coach Tom Stoney. “And, apparently, we enjoy being dramatic. Game one came down to us winning in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-loaded error with no outs.
“In game two, we put up nine in the first two innings and shut them down until the fourth. We got lethargic in the field because of the lead, and Central dropped a seven-spot on us to make it a game,” he added. “ … We have a tough couple of weeks coming up with some top teams, but we are headed in with the mindset of being ready for districts.”
The Chargers (12-14 overall, 10-10 SVL) will host Freeland on Thursday.
MIDLAND SOCCER ROUTS WOLVES
Midland High beat Bay City Central 9-1 in Saginaw Valley League girls’ soccer on Monday.
The Chemics got on the board only three minutes into the contest, as Addyson Sterling scored off of an assist from Alahna Beckett, and, two minutes later, Kennedy Thurlow scored off of another assist from Beckett to make it 2-0.
The Wolves countered with a goal in the 10th minute to cut it to 2-1, but Midland responded by scoring seven unanswered goals, including three by Ainsley Newcomb, two by Beckett, and one apiece by Lizzy Striebel and Grace Sczepanski, for the final margin.
Beckett finished with three assists, while Sczepanski and Jensyn Ardouin both had one, and Midland goalkeeper Niobe Marchalant had two saves to earn the win.
The Chemics (11-4-1 overall, 6-3-1 SVL) will head to Flint Carman-Ainsworth on Wednesday.
CREEK SOFTBALL FALLS TO STANDISH-STERLING
Bullock Creek got swept 4-3 and 8-6 by Standish-Sterling in Tri-Valley Conference softball on Monday.
Mattie Midkiff took a tough loss in game one, going the distance and allowing no earned runs on four hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
Emmah Hanson had two hits for the Lancers.
Zofia Jean took the loss in game two, going five innings and allowing seven runs on eight hits.
Midkiff had two hits and two runs batted in, while Avery Campau had two hits and an RBI, Daisy Schwartz also had two hits, and Maddy Bass drove in a run.
Creek will host Swan Valley on Friday.
FREELAND BASEBALL SWEEPS CLOSE PAIR
Freeland’s baseball team earned a hard-fought sweep of Linden in nonconference action Monday, winning 3-2 and 5-3.
Jacob Clawson earned the win in relief in game one. Freeland starter Connor Lasceski went 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on six hits with nine strikeouts in taking a no-decision.
Brady Shavrnoch drove in Colin Dee with a pinch-hit single in the bottom of the seventh for the walkoff win.
Ryan Quackenbush got the win in game two, going six innings and giving up five runs, two earned, with five strikeouts.
Shavrnoch had two hits with a triple and two runs batted in for the Falcons, while Jacob Kowalski went 3-for-4, and Clawson went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Freeland (17-6) will head to Essexville Garber on Wednesday.
COMETS SWEPT BY SACRED HEART
Coleman got swept 9-6 and 6-3 by Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in Mid-State Activities Conference softball on Monday.
Maddy Miller took the loss in game one, going four innings and surrendering five runs, one earned, on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts.
At the plate, Miller went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs batted in, and two runs scored, while Elley Johnson and Timeea Middleton both had an RBI, Nevaeh Chaffee tripled, and Ava Gross scored twice.
Gross took the loss in game two, going six innings and giving up six runs, three earned, on nine hits and two walks.
Gross doubled and scored twice, while Miller had two hits, and Chaffee added an RBI.
“Errors hurt. Errors eventually become runs, and those runs cost you games,” said Coleman coach Chad Klopf, whose Comets committed 11 errors on the day. “In this case, it cost us two conference games and a chance to win the conference title. We need to regroup and refocus, moving forward.”
The Comets (16-10 overall, 13-3 MSAC) will host Merrill on Thursday.
FREELAND SOCCER KEEPS ROLLING
Freeland beat Frankenmuth 6-1 in Tri-Valley Conference girls’ soccer on Monday to remain unbeaten in league play.
Catherine Mueller had three goals and an assist for the Falcons, while Megan Hemgesberg had two goals and two assists, and Allie Maize added a goal and an assist.
Freeland (12-4-1 overall, 10-0-0 TVC) will host Essexville Garber on Thursday.
COLEMAN BASEBALL SWEPT BY SACRED HEART
Coleman got swept 16-1 and 9-0 by Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in Mid-State Activities Conference baseball on Monday.
Travis Murray went 1-for-2 with a run batted in for the Comets in game one, while Vance Sysak went 1-for-1 with a stolen base.
Dawson Haller went 2-for-3 with a triple in game two, while Murray went 1-for-2 with a double.
Coleman (5-18 overall, 4-12 MSAC) will face Merrill on Thursday.
FALCONS LOSE IN CONFERENCE PLAY FOR FIRST TIME
Freeland’s softball team took its first conference loss on Saturday, splitting a Tri-Valley Conference Red doubleheader with Standish-Sterling. The Panthers won the opener 9-1, and the Falcons took the nightcap 11-10.
Zoey Markey had multiple hits, including a home run, for Freeland in game one, while Ashley Collier also had multiple hits.
Isabel Cumper earned the win in relief in game two.
Jenna Kowalski went 5-for-5 and drove in Addie Steffen for the game-winning run in the seventh inning. Collier, Evelynn Rybicki, and Madeline McDonald each had multiple hits.
The Falcons (22-5 overall, 9-1 TVC) will head to Essexville Garber on Wednesday.