Cheney High’s softball team has wrapped up the Great Northern League’ second-seed in the upcoming District 7 playoffs, which begin Saturday, May 11, with a home game in Cheney.
The Lady Blackhawks took two of three games last week to secure their position, which was not seriously threatened should they have lost. Cheney easily beat third-seeded Clarkston 11-1 on Tuesday, April 30, and came from behind to down East Valley in extra innings, 8-7, on Saturday. The Lady Knights scored five runs in the top of the first and kept Cheney at arms-length the rest of the way to win the non-league nightcap, 11-8.
Logan Krantz sealed the Lady Blackhawks rally in game one as Cheney fell behind 7-1 through the first two and a half innings. The junior homered in Cheney’s five-run bottom of the third, and belted a second round-tripper in the bottom of the eighth for the walk-off win.
Krantz was 4 for 5, including a double to go with the two home runs, to lead Cheney at the plate. Alexis Mitchell got the win, going the distance in the pitching circle.
In game two, the Lady Knights again built a lead, this time 9-4 through the top of the fourth, and withstood Cheney’s comeback attempts for the win. Cheney rallied twice, with three runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth but got not closer.
Krantz added to her home run total with another in game two, with Maria Guglielmo and Courtney Hanson each collecting a double. Isabell King took the loss in the pitching circle.
After a scoreless first inning, Cheney struck big and struck often against Clarkston on the road. The Lady Blackhawks scored in the second through fifth innings to 10-run the hosts, with Mitchell getting the win.
Cheney goes to 6-2 in GNL play, 8-9 overall, and had one remaining game on its regular-season schedule, a non-league hookup at home with Northeast A League second-place Deer Park (10-2, 12-7) on Tuesday, May 7.
Clarkston and East Valley were tied in the GNL standings at 2-6, and were meeting on May 7 to determine the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. Cheney’s playoff opponent is fairly certain to be fifth-place Pullman, who at 2-6 was taking on league champion West Valley (7-0, 14-1) on Tuesday as well.
Whoever the Lady Blackhawks face, they will do so this Saturday at home at noon.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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