GAYLORD ― The Gaylord girls soccer team has a mix of talent, experience and youth to have hopes of being competitive for a Big North Conference title when the regular season closes.
Two games into league play, and the Blue Devils are seemingly right on track.
Following a 3-1 win over Traverse City Central on Tuesday, April 14, GHS had another dominant performance in an 8-0, mercy rule victory over Sault Ste. Marie on Thursday, April 16.
After scoring Gaylord’s first goal in the win over TC Central, sophomore Khloe Van Oosten followed that up with her first varsity hat trick against Sault, tallying her final goal late in the second half to push the lead to 7-0.
“It feels really good,” Van Oosten said. “I’ve always worked really hard to get it in the back of the net, so it’s nice to have some success off of that.”
Gaylord (2-1, 2-0 BNC) is among three teams still unbeaten in league play, along with Petoskey (2-0 BNC) and Traverse City West (2-0 BNC).
St. Mary baseball sweeps Bellaire, softball swept
Sophomore Cal Royce starred for the St. Mary Snowbirds (3-1, 2-0 Ski Valley), throwing five hitless innings and tallying three hits, five runs scored and two runs batted in in a doubleheader sweep of Bellaire on April 16.
“Cal Royce, he’s fun to watch,” said coach Matt Nowicki. “He’s obviously a huge addition.”
GSM needed just five innings to reach a 12-0 run-rule win over the Eagles, with Royce allowing just two baserunners (one walk, one error) while striking out 13 batters. Sam Kuznicki got the win in the Snowbirds’ 17-2 game two victory, allowing just one earned run, two hits and striking out five.
St. Mary softball (0-4, 0-2 SVC) met a very talented team in No. 5 Bellaire and went down early, falling 16-0 in game one and 23-3 in game two. Sylvia Townsend had two hits and an RBI, while Kaylee Jeffers had a hit, a walk and two RBIs in the game two loss.
No. 10 JoBurg softball starts season with sweep
The Johannesburg-Lewiston Cardinals softball team has quietly been one of the best programs in Northern Michigan, sometimes overshadowed by the two-time state champion Gaylord Blue Devils down the road.
This season, however, it’s the Lady Cards that have people around the state talking about what their ceiling might be, starting the year ranked No. 10 in the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association rankings. They backed that preseason hype up with two resounding victories over Pellston on April 16.
JoBurg (2-0, 2-0 SVC) need just five innings to finish a 15-1 victory in game one, then finished a 16-1 victory in game two in just four innings. Ashlynn Burke got the win in the circle in game one with 13 strikeouts, while Emerson Valentine pitched in the game two win, striking out eight Hornets batters.
Jaeden Briley had two hits, three RBIs and two runs scored and Mady Peppin had two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored in game one. Peppin, Burke, Neela Lawes and Hailey Bober all had multi-hit games in game two, led by Peppin and Bober with three apiece.
The baseball team also swept Pellston, winning 15-0 in game one and 7-6 in game two. Senior Tanner Basinski allowed no hits and struck out 10 batters in four innings against the Hornets, allowing just four baserunners in the game one win.
Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Gaylord soccer sophomore scores hat trick in win, leads top performers
Reporting by Dylan Jespersen, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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