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Streaking Cherokee stuns No. 1 Eastern

The numbers were 1, 13, 2, and 23, and all of them were stacked against the Cherokee baseball team. Eastern was the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group 4 tournament. Cherokee was No. 13.

Cherokee's # 24 Mike Borucki is greeted by teammates after he knocked in 2 runs in the 4th inning of the Cherokee at Eastern H.S. South Jersey Group 4 semifinal boys baseball game on JMay 26, 2015. ( ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer )
Cherokee's # 24 Mike Borucki is greeted by teammates after he knocked in 2 runs in the 4th inning of the Cherokee at Eastern H.S. South Jersey Group 4 semifinal boys baseball game on JMay 26, 2015. ( ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer )Read more

The numbers were 1, 13, 2, and 23, and all of them were stacked against the Cherokee baseball team.

Eastern was the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group 4 tournament. Cherokee was No. 13.

Eastern had beaten Cherokee twice in the regular season, by a combined score of 23-2.

Cherokee coach Marc Petragnani told his players to ignore the math and believe in themselves.

"I told our kids before the game that we were going to shock the world," Petragnani said after his team's 9-5 victory over Eastern in the sectional semifinals Tuesday. "I told them everybody would be shocked except the people in our dugout."

Juniors Evan Powell, Hunter Mason, and Mike Borucki combined for six hits, six runs, and five RBIs as the Chiefs stunned the two-time defending South Jersey champion Vikings before a large crowd on a warm, sunny afternoon at Eastern's Joe Hartmann Field.

Junior lefthander Nick Snyder worked three scoreless innings to notch the pitching victory as Cherokee (17-8) advanced to play at third-seeded Williamstown in the South Jersey Group 4 title game Friday.

Williamstown beat second-seeded Toms River North, 6-0.

"We had nothing to lose," said Powell, a leftfielder who generated the game's first run with his baserunning in the first inning and added an RBI single in Cherokee's four-run rally in the sixth. "The pressure was all on them."

Senior leftfielder Tyler Dixon delivered two RBI singles for Eastern (24-6).

The Vikings will finish their season by hosting Timber Creek in the Camden County Tournament title game Wednesday night.

"I'm proud of this team," Eastern coach Rob Christ said. "I'm proud of every kid on this team. . . . Cherokee was the better team today. They made the plays when they had to and they got some key hits when they needed them."

Cherokee used four pitchers and got contributions from up and down the order as eight players reached base and seven of the nine batters had hits.

Borucki, the No. 8 hitter, was 2 for 4 with a two-run double in the fourth, and senior third baseman Anthony Martinelli, the No. 9 hitter, chipped in with an RBI double and a sacrifice bunt.

"It took a village," Petragnani said.

Cherokee has won 11 of 13 since a 6-6 start. But one of those losses was 13-0 to Eastern on May 2. The Vikings also beat the Chiefs, 10-2, on April 13.

"I don't look forward to playing any team in my conference three times," Christ said of the Olympic Conference's American Division. "Before the season, with their pitching, I thought [the Chiefs] were the favorites."

Cherokee was 9-6 at the playoff cutoff but still landed the No. 13 seed.

"I thought 13 was a joke," Petragnani said.

Cherokee has beaten fourth-seeded Rancocas Valley, 12th-seeded Washington Township, and top-seeded Eastern in a surge to the sectional title game.

"For our purposes, it's get in [the tournament] and then peak," Petragnani said.

Cherokee took a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning. Borucki got the key hit, a two-out, two-run double.

The Chiefs made it 9-2 with four runs in the sixth, highlighted by Mason's two-out, two-run double.

"Since the playoffs started, we're like a different team," Borucki said. "We're playing for each other."

Cherokee 100 314 0 - 9 9 3

Eastern 000 202 1 - 5 11 3

WP: Nick Snyder. LP: Matt Woods. 2B: C-Hunter Mason 2, Mike Borucki, Anthony Martinelli, Mike Faunt. 3B: E-Corey Kreston.

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