CHENEY — Blackhawks squads continue to work their way into Greater Spokane League competition. The soccer team edged University for its first win of the season while the Lady Blackhawks softball team suffered its first loss at the hands of Central Valley.
Baseball
The Blackhawks are still searching for their first win of the season. Mead pitching limited Cheney to just three hits in a 12-0 win April 20. Van Vega, Gabe Gerber and James Whiteley each had a single, with the defense giving up a couple errors.
Thursday, April 22, the Blackhawks fared a bit better in a rematch, scoring two runs on four hits, including a double by Jamel Taudin-Chabot, in the 7-2 loss to the Panthers.
Friday at Central Valley the bats were still pretty cool, again notching just four hits in the 11-2 loss to the Bears. Gerber led with a pair of singles, with the defense showing some improvement with just one error.
Cheney drops to 0-5 on the season.
Soccer
Cheney got its first win of the season and in the Greater Spokane League with a 4-3 victory over visiting University in a battle of 3A schools April 21. The Blackhawks fell 3-0 to Gonzaga Prep on April 26. Not additional details were available at press time for either match.
Cheney is 1-4 so far in its return to the GSL as a 3A school. The Blackhawks last played in 2019 when they went 13-0 and won the Great Northern League title in head coach Nick Hamer’s first season.
Cheney lost four starters, three receiving All-GNL honors, off that team, but return seven starters and 12 letter winners. Key among those players are seniors Dawson Heuett (forward), Wes Nicol (defender) and Aiden Carver (midfielder/forward) along with juniors Garrett Heuett (midfield), Keenan Han (defender) and Joaquin Mendoza (defender).
Cheney also features three newcomers – all freshmen – with playing experience: Cheney Storm members Austin Benson (goalkeeper) and Tyler Benison (defender) and Washington East midfielder Lucas Czapansky.
“Strong attack with a good, solid group of returners,” Hamer said of the Blackhawks strengths, adding their current weaknesses are “defense, due to new people and our inexperience in the GSL.”
Softball
The Lady Blackhawks stretched their season-opening winning streak to four games with a pair of wins over Mead before seeing that streak snapped at Central Valley. Cheney handed the Panthers an 8-1 loss on April 20 and again on April 21, this time a 15-10 slugfest at Mead.
Bella King threw a six-hitter, giving up one earned run in the second inning while walking just one and striking out four. Tomei Vega was 3 for 2 with 3 RBIs and a run scored, with Maddie McDowell going 3 for 3 and scoring three times.
Tatum Sloan and King led Cheney offensively in the rematch, with Sloan going 2 for 2 with 4 RBIs and King 3 for 5 and 3 RBIs as the Lady Blackhawks banged out 18 hits at Mead. Eight Cheney starters had multiple hits. King got the win on the mound, with both defenses playing loose with the ball – four errors by the Lady Blackhawks and five by the Panthers.
Cheney ran into some good pitching Friday, April 23, at CV. The Bears limited Cheney to just three hits, singles by Vega and Pyper Cagle and a double from Parker Cagle in downing the Lady Blackhawks 11-1.
Boys Tennis
The Blackhawks found the going tough last Thursday, April 22, at home against a strong Ferris team. The Saxons shutout Cheney 7-0, partly due to a pair of defaults at No.2 and No. 3 doubles by the Blackhawks.
The match’s highlight for Cheney likely came in the No. 1 doubles where Alex Bowman and Sam Laughton battled Vishal Malireddi and Michael Buntain before losing 7-5, 6-4.
The Cheney juniors are the team’s top doubles pair, with senior Alex Rose handling the No. 1 singles duties this season. Settling at No. 2 singles will be junior Brandon Blazekovic, with sophomores Hunter Passey and Colin Chen at No. 3 and No. 4 singles respectively.
“This is a great group of boys who are all athletic and very coachable,” first-year head coach Dan Estock said. “We are looking forward to our first year competing in the GSL.”
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