PETOSKEY — For the first time since 2015, the Alpena baseball and softball teams have won Big North Conference championships in the same year.

The Alpena baseball team avenged last season’s letdown in conference play and entered Tuesday’s doubleheader with Petoskey needing just one win to clinch the title outright.

Alpena defeated the Northmen 4-1 in game one to win the championship and dropped game two 4-3 to finish 8-2 in conference play.

The Wildcats were backed by a superb pitching performance from senior Bruz Copping who went the distance, pitching all seven innings, allowing just four hits, one earned run and struck out six.

Alpena fell behind early as the Northmen scored a run in the first, but the Wildcats tied the game with a run in the third added one more in the sixth and tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh to secure the victory.

Offensively, Copping, Kyle VanDusen and Clay Donajkowski each went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the win. Aidan Goike, Colin Donajkowski and Alex Cosbitt each tallied a hit and scored a run.

“It’s very exciting to win the conference this year after we failed to meet expectations last year. It felt good to bounce back,” Alpena coach Phil Schultz said. “This is a great group of kids that hadn’t won a BNC title in baseball so for them to win it outright tonight is special. They all worked hard all season, bonded well and did a great job. I couldn’t be happier for this group and this team.”

Alpena let a lead slip away in the nightcap as it held a 3-1 lead after three innings, but Petoskey added three runs of its own in the home half of the fourth and held on.

The Wildcats’ defense was a bit shaky as they committed four errors and despite Keegan Spomer tossing a one-hitter, he was the tough luck loser in game two. Spomer pitched all six innings, allowed just the one hit, zero earned runs and struck out four.

At the plate, Goike went 2-for-4 with a run scored, Spomer was 2-for-3, VanDusen and Clay Donajkowski each added a hit and scored a run. Colin Donajkowski had a hit and an RBI and Chris DeRocher drove in a run.

Alpena is now 20-7 overall on the season and will host Melvindale on Saturday in what will be Senior Day at Alpena High School.

SOFTBALL

Hillman splits

with Tawas

TAWAS — The Hillman softball team split a doubleheader at Tawas on Tuesday, winning in extra innings in game one 4-3 and falling 12-2 in the nightcap.

The two teams were tied in game one 2-2 and Bailey Schook singled home a run in the top of the eighth inning and scored another insurance run to hang on.

The Tigers tallied two home runs on the night as Brooke Jones and Brooke Grulke both hit dingers. Makenna Grulke led Hillman with a pair of hits.

Schook earned the win, pitching all eight innings, allowed two runs on six hits and struck out seven.

Hillman fell behind early in game two and was unable to make any kind of a comeback.

Schook, Makenna Grulke, McKenna Hively and Joslyn Brown each had a hit for the Tigers.

TRACK AND FIELD

Onaway boys, RC girls win P.I. Invite

POSEN–The Onaway boys and Rogers City girls track teams took top honors at the annual Presque Isle Championships on Monday in Posen.

Onaway’s boys team finished with 160 points, ahead of Rogers City (130) and Posen (101).

Rogers City’s girls team finished with 231 points, ahead of Onaway (67) and Posen (66).

Results from the meet included:

BOYS

3,200 Relay–1. Onaway, 9:23.27; 2. Posen, 9:27.55; 3. Rogers City, 10:57.07.

110 Hurdles–1. Max Boettger, Onaway, 24.99; 2. Tyler Robbins, Onaway, 41.35.

Long Jump–1. Luke Augsburger, RC, 20-0; 2. Robins, 17-5; 3. Luke Tulgetske, RC, 17-3; 4. Sam Tennant, Onaway, 8-7.

Discus–1. Gabe Jakubcin, Posen, 120-10; 2. Augsburger, 89-1; 3. Gage Kasubowski, 77-4; 4. Grant Ryan, RC, 75-1; 5. Matthew Menzel, Posen, 75-0; 6. Luke Tulgetske, 65-2.

High Jump–1. Augsburger, 5-10; 2. Robbins, 5-4.

Shot Put–1. Jakubcin, 38-4; 2. Menzel, 35-2; 3. Cameron Paull, Posen, 34-0; 4. Cameron Freed, Posen, 29-11; 5. Ryan, 29-5; 6. Clayton Henry, RC, 29-2.

100 Dash–1. Coty Ionetz, Onaway, 12.27; 2. Michael Robbins, RC, 12.75; 3. Paull, 13.25; 4. T. Robbins, 13.26; 5. Damian Segorski, RC, 13.40; 6. John Chamberlain, RC, 13.46.

800 Relay–1. Posen, 1:48.28; 2. Onaway, 1:49.62; 3. Rogers City, 1:55.

1,600 Run–1. Teddy Peters, Onaway, 5:28.6; 2. S. Tennant, 5:59.02; 3. Austin Bielas, RC, 6:07.75; 4. Matt Tennant, 6:41.39.

400 Relay–1. Rogers City, 51.65; 2. Onaway, 51.58.

Thrower Relay–1. Rogers City, 1:02.93; 2. Posen, 1:05.87.

400 Dash–1. Tyler Hincka, Posen, 1:00.16; 2. Paull, 1:01.85; 3. Jacob Pomranke, RC, 1:03.82; 4. Ionetz, Onaway, 1:05.80; 5. Matt Szatkowski, Posen, 1:07.74; 6. Bielas, 1:09.97.

300 Hurdles–1. Peters, 29.66; 2. Boettger, 51.81; 3. M. Robbins, 57.95.

800 Run–1. Jager Mix, Onaway, 2:14.72; 2. E. Hincka, Posen, 2:24.20; 3. M. Tennant, 2:43.30; 4. S. Tennant, 3:11.28.

200 Dash–1. Brendan Fenstermaker, Onaway, 26.48; 2. Bielas, 27.06; 3. Stefan Heise, Posen, 27.81; 4. T. Robbins, 28.78; 5. Anthony Paul, RC, 29.56; 6. Szatkowski, 29.74.

3,200 Run–1. Peters, 12:22.

1,600 Relay–1. Posen, 4:14; 2. Rogers City, 4:21.

GIRLS

3,200 Relay–1. Rogers City, 11:54.04.

High Jump–1. Demi Flewelling, RC, 4-6; 2. Brooklyn Hoffmeyer, Onaway, 4-4; 3. Macy Kroll, Posen, 4-0.

100 Hurdles–1. Cheyenne Bober, RC, 19.26; 2. Brittany Wolgast, Onaway. 20.79; 3. Audrey Oberlin, Onaway, 22.72.

Shot Put–1. Maddie Menzel, Posen, 27-10; 2. Shawna McDonald, RC, 26-1; 3. Jillian Delke, RC, 23-3 3/4; 4. Lauren Northrup, Onaway, 23-2; 5. Sophie Romel, Posen, 23-1; 6. Radeesha Porter, Onaway, 22-5 1/2.

Long Jump–1. Christina Andrews, RC, 13-10; 2. Abby Muller, RC, 12-10; 3. Hoffmeyer, 12-6; 4. Flewelling, 11-5 1/2; 5. Kardi Sai, Posen, 10-8; 6. Leah Themel, Posen, 8-11.

Discus–1. McDonald, 86-4; 2. Delke, 78-0; 3. Menzel, 75-8; 4. Romel, 71-9.

100 Dash–1. Andrews, 13.9; 2. Kroll, 14.05; 3. Samantha Williams, RC, 14.6; 4. Muller, 15.01; 5. Natalie Domke, Onaway, 15.27; 6. Sai, 15.41.

800 Relay–1. Rogers City, 2:04.37; 2. Onaway, 2:10.82.

1,600 Relay–1. Morgan Baller, RC, 6:07.75; 2. Nina Hansen, RC, 6:44.94; 3. Abby Ross, RC, 7:06.93.

400 Relay–1. Onaway, 1:02.25; 2. Rogers City, 1:02.95; 3. Posen, 1:07.46.

400 Dash–1. Kroll, 1:15.17; 2. Ross, 1:22.15; 3. Haley St. Pierre, RC, 1:31.60.

Throwers Relay–1. Rogers City, 1:17.38; 2. Onaway, 1:17.90; 3. Posen, 1:18.18.

300 Hurdles–1. Bober, 55.39.

800 Run–1. Hansen, 3:04.67; 2. Oberlin, 3:11.31; 3. Ross, 3:29.75.

200 Dash–1. Catherine Belusar, RC, 30.07; 2. Kroll, 31.01; 3. Erika Chojnacki, RC, 31.06; 4. Wolgast, 33.50; 5. Domke, 33.95; 6. Angelic Hernandez, RC, 35.23.

3,200 Run–1. Baller, 13:48.08; 2. Hansen, 14:35.89.

1,600 Relay–1. Rogers City, 5:09.8; 2. Posen, 6:39.29.