High School Baseball:
Cherokee Defeats Hard Hitting Eastern

Saturday, April 3, 1999

By Art Redd
SJSports Staff Writer

Cherokee pitcher Chris Murray is known to be one of the premiere pitchers in South Jersey. The hard throwing starter went up against the Vikings on Saturday at Eastern High School. Murray not only used the fastball, slider and curve ball in the game, but also used his bat. Cherokee broke open a close game in the fifth inning when they batted around plus one to put up 6 runs. Murray led off the seventh inning with a solo home run and Cherokee went on to a 13-7 win.

Both starting pitchers had shaky first innings, as each would load the bases with a few walks. Both teams got out of a big inning by only yielding one run. In the second inning, Phil D'Alonzo got on base on a fielder's choice and set up the table for Cherokee's shortstop Mike Scanzano. With two outs, Scanzano drilled a fastball over the left field fence for a two-run homerun. The long ball seemed to be the theme in the early innings as Eastern would tie the game at 3 when JJ Singer slapped a two run homer. Jason Knee scored in front of him when he hit a stand up double to left center.

After Cherokee took a 5-3 lead into the fifth inning, things seemed to go the Chiefs way. Dane Mason led off the inning with a single. The next two batters would go down swinging. Cherokee recorded two walks and a hit-by-pitch batter, then Murray stepped up to the plate to help his own cause with a two run single. Dave August recorded his second hit of the game with a ground rule double that plated two more runs and a 11-3 lead. Eastern's Andy Dawson knocked a two-run homer in the sixth but that wasn't enough to reduce the deficit.

Mike Scanzano went 3 for 4 with 2 runs and an RBI, Chris Murray went 2 for 3 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs, and Phil D'Alonzo went 2 for 4 with 3 runs for Cherokee. Andy Dawson went 2 for 4 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs, JJ Singer went 1 for 2 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, and Joe Corvaia had 2 hits at 4 at bats for Eastern. Cherokee increased their record to 2-0, while Eastern evened their record to 1-1.

Photos by Art Redd