LITTLETON — His home field has a shorter porch in right field and East chose to pitch him outside, so, yes, Michael Camporeale was trying to go that way Tuesday afternoon.
Two innings, two swings and five runs batted in later, the senior sent Chatfield to a 13-2 victory between a couple of expected league challengers in Class 5A baseball amid unusually good early-spring weather.
Camporeale lifted one out in right-center field in the first inning for a three-run homer, then crushed a no-doubter in the second about the same direction.
“I’m seeing the ball real well, I guess, just staying back and trying to rip it,” the center fielder said after his fourth and fifth homers of the season.
Chatfield (3-1) did a lot of that Tuesday, totaling 13 hits, six for extra bases. After the Chargers’ three-run first, Camporeale’s second homer led to a four-run second, then a five-run third. Every Charger reached base at least once, and No. 9 hitter Jon Watson was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
On the mound, left-hander Mark Shannon has been a workhorse, moving to 2-1. He permitted only five hits and struck out six. He was touched for single runs in the second and third but avoided further damage on a comebacker that he turned into a double play. Shannon also batted leadoff, got two hits and scored three times.
“This team, I think, has a lot of the pieces for success, but we’re still finding ourselves,” Chargers coach Mike Yansak said of his program that made the 2008 final four and is expected to head Jefferson County. “We lost not a ton of seniors, but that senior leadership. So we’re still coming together and finding their chemistry.”
For Denver Prep League’s East (4-2), which turned two double plays and is regularly a city 5A favorite, starter Max Bridge was hit around, but has a back problem. Coach Howard Karsh said he probably shouldn’t have started him but is keeping his fingers crossed the right-hander is able to play through it.
“We’ll be OK, and we’ll get better,” Karsh said.
East 011 00 — 2 5 1
Chatfield 345 1x — 13 13 0
East — Nelson ss 3-1-1-0, Bridge p-3b 3-0-1-0, Leaman-Miller cf-p 2-1-1-1, Zavala 2b 2-0-1-0, Hager 3b-1b 2-0-1-1, Houston 1b-p-rf 2-0-0-0, Brown rf-lf-cf 2-0-0-0, Greenwood dh-rf-lf 2-0-0-0, Zettas lf 0-0-0-0, Nogami c 0-0-0-0, Arrieta cr 0-0-0-0. Totals 18-2-5-2.
Chatfield — Shannon p 3-3-2-1, Joyce 2b 2-2-1-2, Ives, cr-ph 1-0-0-0, Camporeale cf 2-2-2-5, Ta. Rogers 1b 3-0-1-2, DeLeon 1b 0-0-0-0, Duley c 3-0-1-0, Moisey c 0-0-0-0, Yost rf 3-1-1-0, Ty. Rogers dh-3b 2-1-0-0, Frank 3b 0-0-0-0, Urbano 3b 2-2-2-1, Watson ss 3-2-3-2, Tallman lf 0-0-0-0. Totals 24-13-13-13.
E — Zavala. DP — East 2, Chatfield 1. LOB — East 3, Chatfield 4. 2B — Hager, Urbano 2, Joyce, Wilson. 3B — Shannon. HR — Camporeale 2, two on in first, one on in second.
Batteries — Bridge, Houston (3), Leamna- Miller (5) and Nogami; Shannon and Duley, Moisey (4). W — Shannon (2-1). L — Bridge (1-2). HBP — Shannon (by Houston). WP — Shannon. PB — Nogami. T — 1:27.
