Cherokee’s baseball team has won the 36^th annual Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic with a convincing 18-5 win over Haddon Township in the championship at Campbell’s Field. The game was halted after six innings due to the 10-run rule.

Junior first baseman Eric Barbieri went 4 for 4 with three runs and three RBIs for the Chiefs.

It was the third Diamond Classic title Cherokee (13-5), which also won in 1981 and 1982. Haddon Township fell to 16-4.

Earlier in the day Cherokee advanced with a 4-2 semifinal win over Bishop Eustace while Haddon Township beat Sacred Heart, 15-6 to earn the championship berth.

Diamond Classic Championship

Cherokee

Haddon Township

Cherokee                260 00 10 – 18 12 2

Haddon Township  101 300 – 5 3 1

WP: Will Cordero. LP: Doug Groff.

2B: C-Eric Barbieri 3, Brian Brown; H-Ryan Easterday 3B: C-Tyler Powell, Shane Lynch.

Cherokee owns a 18-5 lead over Haddon Township entering the bottom of the sixth inning in the championship of the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic at Campbell's Field. 

Brian Brown hit a three-run double in the sixth inning for the Chiefs.

Haddon Township's Ryan Easterday had a pinch hit three-run double in the fourth inning.

Cherokee scored 6 runs in the top of the second to extend their lead.

Haddon Township changed pitchers with one out in the top of the second inning.

Dustin Smith has replaced starter Doug Groff with Cherokee leading 5-1. After a passed ball, the lead increased to 6-1

The big second inning hit for Cherokee was a two-run single by Cherokee shortstop Nick Allen,

After the first inning, Cherokee owned a 2-1 lead. The Chiefs scored two runs on a two-run triple by Tyler Powell.

Haddon Township's Nate Engel scored a run in the bottom of the inning as teammate Andrew Noon got into a rundown with two outs. 

Haddon Township and Cherokee will meet in Sunday's 36th annual Joe Hartman Diamond Classic baseball championship after both won semifinal games earlier today.

Haddon Township knocked off defending Diamond champ Sacred Heart, 15-6.

Cherokee, which last week handed Millville its first loss of the season, scored a 4-2 win over Bishop Eustace.

The 4:30 p.m. championship will be played at Campbell's Field, home of the Camden Riversharks.

Doug Groff will be the starting pitcher for Haddon Township in the championship game while Cherokee will send Cody Solar.

Diamond semifinals

Bishop Eustace 010 000 1 – 2 10 2

Cherokee 004 000 x – 4 5 0

WP: Bryan Cooper. LP Ken Fetchko. 2B: B-Chris Bzozowski 2, Scott Carcaise, Jimmy Coyle.

Haddon Township 600 204 3 – 15 18 0

Sacred Heart          001 140 0 – 6 9 2

WP: Frank Trautz. LP: Holvin Figueroa. 2B: H-Nate Engel, Ian Lindsay, Tyler Smith, Andrew Noon, Frank Trautz, Rich Porreca, Mike McGee 2. S-Figueroa. 3B: H-Mike Byrnes.

Junior righthander Ryan Easterday pitched a complete game 2-hitter in Saturday’s 1-0 win over host Washington Township in a Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic quarterfinal game.

Haddon Township (15-3) scored the lone run in the first inning when Tyler Smith’s RBI single drove in Nate Engel, who led off with a double.

Washington Township junior lefthander Adam Warburton also pitched a complete game in earning the loss.

The Minutemen are now 10-8 and visit Cherokee in Monday’s first round of the Group 4 state tournament.

Haddon Township will face Sacred Heart in Sunday's 12:30 p.m. semifinal at Washington Township.

Sacred Heart beat Seneca, 7-2 in Saturday's other quarterfinal game at Washington Township.

Allen Rivera went the distance in earning his sixth win of the year for Sacred Heart.

Washington Township 000 000 0 – 0 2 3

Haddon Township        100 00 x – 1 3 0

WP: Ryan Easterday. LP: Adam Warburton. 2B: H-Nate Engel

Eastern has earned the top seed in the South IV girls’ lacrosse tournament. The NJSIAA released the pairings on Wednesday.

To nobody’s surprise, nine-time defending Tournament of Champion champ Moorestown is the top seed in South III (with Shawnee No. 2).

Northern Burlington is the highest South Jersey team in Group 2, at No. 2 behind top seeded Hopewell Valley.

Holy Cross is the top seed in the South I tournament.

In boys’ lacrosse, where all the teams in the state are put in six Groups – 1 through 4 and Non-Public A and B, Cherokee is the top seed in Group 4.

Shawnee is the highest South Jersey team in Group 3, seeded third.

Moorestown is seeded No. 3 in Group 2.

There are no South Jersey teams in Group 1.

In Non-Public A, St. Augustine is the No. 2 seed behind top seeded Delbarton.

Caitlyn Jenkins and winning pitcher Dominique Ficara had two RBIs each today as Kingsway stunned Williamstown 6-2 in a Tri-County Royal game.

No. 1 Williamstown had not played since April 30 and looked rusty, committing two errors and a few other mental mistakes.

Ficara struck out eight as Kingsway (13-3, 8-1) seized a share of first place with Williamstown (12-1, 8-1).

"We made more mistakes today than we have in the last trwo years," said Williamstown coach Fred Powell, whose team had won 23 in a row.

Kingsway coach Tony Barchuk said the win put him "on top of the world."

Both teams are defending state champions. Williamstown won Group 4 last season and Kingsway won Group 3. Both will be serious contenders this season.

But this game wasn't about states -- it was a close-to-home rivalry that had been dominated in recent years by Williamstown.

"I feel liike a weight has been lifted off my shoulders," Jenkins said of beating Williamstown.

-- Phil Anastasia

For the fourth time this season Bishop Eustace will meet Gloucester Catholic in baseball when the two play Saturday in a Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic quarterfinal at Deptford.

The teams also must play a fifth time in the Grand Slam Classic, with the winner meeting Millville in the championship. The date of the Grand Slam Classic game has yet to be set for this game.

Eustace has won two of the first three games between these long-time baseball powers.

All four Diamond quarterfinals will be played Saturday, with two games at Deptford and two at Washington Township.

Here are the matchups

At Deptford: Bishop Eustace vs. Gloucester Catholic, 10:30 a.m.; Cherokee vs. Williamstown, 1:30 p.m.

At Washington Township: Haddon Township vs. Washington Township, 10:30; Sacred Heart vs. Seneca, 1:30.

Cherokee's Shane Lynch hit a three-run home run and teammate Kyle Warren scored the winning run in the fifth inning to defeat Millville, 4-3 in Saturday's opening round Joe Hartmann Diamon Classic at Deptford.

It was the first loss for Millville (13-1) which is ranked No. 1 in South Jersey by The Inqurier. No. 9 Cherokee is now 8-4.

Sophomore lefthander Will  Cordero earned the win in relief for Cherokee while ace Dan Smith got the save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Mike Trout, the area's top Major League prospect, took the loss for Millville. Trout is a prospect as a centerfielder, but also is a talented pitcher.

Warren manufactured the winning run with a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth.

He stole second and then stole third. Warren kept running after an errant throw on his stolen base attempt to third base, coming home to snap the 3-3 tie

Cherokee 003 010 0 – 4 7 1

Millville  111 000 0 – 3 4 1

WP: Will Cordero. LP: Mike Trout. 3B: M-Mike Trout. HR: C-Shane Lynch.