DENVER-
Cherokee Trail needed two games to claim this crown.
Micah Green homered for the second time in as many games Saturday, and Tim Moore was stellar in relief as Cherokee Trail won the Class 4A state championship with a 10-4 victory over Thomas Jefferson at All City Field.
Earlier in the day, Green and Moore had memorable performances in Cherokee Trail’s 9-0 victory over fifth-seeded Niwot (16-10).
Because three teams entered the day with one loss in the double-elimination 4A tournament, it took two games to decide the champion, and top-seeded Cherokee Trail (24-3) was the last school standing.
In the title game against second-seeded Thomas Jefferson (22-4), Green, who hit a pivotal grand slam earlier against Niwot, led off the fifth with a homer to give the Cougars a 7-4 advantage. Cherokee Trail added two more runs in the fifth, before Moore entered in relief to slam the door on the Spartans.
Moore, the complete-game winner over Niwot, earned the save against Thomas Jefferson. He allowed no runs on one hit, no walks and three strikeouts in three innings.
Zach Dando was credited with the championship win. He pitched four innings, allowing four runs on six hits, three walks and three strikeouts.
Dylan Smith was saddled with the loss. He allowed eight runs on eight hits, three walks and three strikeouts in 4 1-3 innings.
With the victory, Cherokee Trail—from Aurora—won its second state team title in the school’s brief, four-year history. It also came a few hours after the Cougars boys track team captured the school’s first team title.
Thomas Jefferson, which won its last state baseball championship in 1967, attempted to become the first Denver Prep League team to win the title in 13 years. Denver East won in 1994.
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