Blackhawks fall in Pullman

Cheney High School’s baseball team wrapped up its regular season by splitting its final four games 2-2, but it was the two losses that hurt the most.

Needing a win against Pullman to seal a Great Northern League title, the Blackhawks came up short in both games of an April 27 doubleheader. Cheney’s late rally fell short in game one — the one that mattered — as the Blackhawks lost 3-2, followed by a 5-1 setback in the nightcap.

Pullman hurler Hyatt Utzman scattered three Cheney hits through the first six innings. But in the seventh, the Blackhawks made things interesting.

Nick Berman led off with a solo home run to put Cheney on the board at 3-1, with Elliot Winters reaching base on a one-out Greyhounds fielding error. Winters stole second and advanced to third on a Devin Cook groundout.

Utzman then walked Peyton McPherson and Jake Berman. Having walked Kyle Peabody prior to Cook, the Berman walk forced home Winters and left the bases full with two outs, an opportunity Cheney couldn’t capitalize on as Luke Martin fanned to end the game.

Cheney had hits by McPherson, Cook and both Bermans. Julian Chabot took the loss, going the distance in giving up three runs — all unearned — on six hits, walking none and striking out four. Cheney committed four errors.

“We had everything in our control and had three unearned runs and lost 3-2,” head coach Rob Beamer said.

Pullman scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth for the win in the nightcap. Cheney’s only run came in the fourth inning when Koby Holt stroked a one-out single and Nick Berman brought him home with a double.

McPherson, Holt, Berman and Rory Schuller had hits for Cheney. Holt took the loss.

Earlier in the week the Blackhawks wrapped up their home schedule with a 2-0 win over Clarkston. Chabot pitched a three-hit shutout, striking out eight and making RBIs by Martin, who went 2 for 3, in the first and second innings stand for the win.

April 29, the Blackhawks wrapped up the regular season with an 8-7 road win over Sunnyside, holding off a furious, five-run rally by the winless Grizzlies in their final at-bat. Martin was 3 for 5 with three RBIs while Cook went 2 for 4 with one RBI.

McPherson got the win, giving up two earned runs on five hits over five innings, walking one and striking out eight. Cook pitched the final two innings, striking out three and giving up five hits but no earned runs as a Cheney error in the seventh opened the door for Sunnyside’s comeback attempt.

Cheney finishes the season at 7-2 in the GNL, 11-3 overall, and was awaiting the outcome of the West Valley at Pullman game Tuesday night to learn their playoff fate. A Pullman win gives the Greyhounds the regular-season title and Cheney the No. 2 seed, while a loss would force a tiebreaker/winner-take-all showdown May 2 at a neutral site.

If Cheney should remain the No. 2 seed they would host East Valley this Saturday. A win then would give them a semifinal game against the West Valley-Clarkston winner at the No. 1 seed’s site on Tuesday.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].