GREENWOOD VILLAGE — In the fifth inning Thursday, a radio announcer mentioned that Cherry Creek had seldom been in such a precarious position “in, well, the last 15 or 20 years.”
That provided a glimpse of how thoroughly No. 6 Cherokee Trail dismantled the top-ranked Bruins for a 10-4 victory in a key Class 5A Centennial League tilt.
The visiting Cougars (5-1, 2-0) had been 0-4 against Cherry Creek since moving to 5A and had been outscored 54-5. It was the polar opposite this time, as Cherokee Trail rocketed to a 10-0 lead before the Bruins averted a shutout in the bottom of the seventh.
“We wanted to come out and play a good game against a good team that’s always been a challenge for us, and today we put it together,” Cougars coach Allan Dyer said.
How dominant? All nine Cougars starters had a hit, including three apiece by Brock Schlekway and John Green. Seven of their 14 hits went for extra bases, including a two-run triple by Jordan Chavez to break a scoreless tie in the third.
“That’s huge, knocking off the No. 1 team in the state,” said pitcher Daniel Mackay, who carried a shutout into the seventh and hit a two-run home run in the fifth. “We just now started hitting the ball and good things are happening.”
Cherry Creek (5-2, 1-1) managed only six hits and stranded six runners in the first three innings. Ethan Kang registered the Bruins’ only extra-base hit with a double in the second, but soon was gunned at the plate by Cougars center fielder Mikel Mucha.
“We have to put it behind us, because it’s a funny sport where anything can happen on a given day,” Cherry Creek second baseman Ian Wilson said. “We have a chance to fix it.”
Mackay struck out eight hitters before tiring in the seventh, but by then, the rout was on.
“It’s our sixth game of the season and we have 19,” Dyer said. “It’s a good win, but we put it in perspective.”
Cherokee Trail 003 320 2 — 10 14 0
Cherry Creek 000 000 4 — 4 6 0
Cherokee Trail (ab-r-h-rbi) — Johnson 2b 5-1-1-0, Chavez lf 3-1-1-3, M. Mucha cf 4-0-1-0, Perry 1b-p 4-1-1-0, Mackay p 4-1-1-3, McPhail 1b 0-0-0-0, Schlekway 3b 4-2-3-0, Green lf 4-2-3-1, Wilson dh 3-1-1-1, Marquardt ss 3-1-2-2, Bradley c 0-0-0-0. Totals 34-10-14-10.
Cherry Creek — McCabe cf 2-0-0-0, Bullard cf 1-1-0-0, Wilson 2b 2-1-1-1, Kurilich lf 2-0-0-1, Schutzius ss 3-0-2-1, Beauprez 1b-p 3-0-1-1, Jax p 2-0-0-0, Davis 1b 2-0-0-0, Kang rf 2-0-1-0, Baus rf 0-1-0-0, Jenkins 3b 3-0-1-0, Milligan c 1-1-0-0, Howard c 0-0-0-0. Totals 23-4-6-4.
E — None. LOB — Cherokee Trail 6, Cherry Creek 8. 2B — Mucha, Perry, Schlekway, Green, Kang. 3B — Chavez, Green. HR – Mackay (one on in fifth). CS — Jenkins. SF — Marquart, Schutzius.
Batteries — Mackay and Bradley; Jax, Williamson (4), Beauprez (5) and Milligan, Howard (5). W — Mackay (2-0). L — Jax (3-1). T — 2:19.
