Cherry Creek junior Cody Wood pitched into the seventh inning for the Bruins against Chatfield on Friday morning. (Dennis Pleuss)
DENVER — Chatfield’s pitching trio of Nick Chamberlain, Travis Schnoor and Sean O’Dell pieced together a victory for the Chargers in the Class 5A state tournament opener Friday afternoon at All-City Field.
Chatfield outlasted Cherry Creek for an 8-4 victory to start the eight-team, double-elimination tournament.
“It was definitely a big game. Coach (Brandon Stone) told me I was on the mound. I knew I had to bring my ‘A’ game today,” said Chamberlain, who pitched the first four innings to pick up the victory. “This game against Cherry Creek we pieced it together. It worked out really good.”
Chamberlain gave up three runs on sevens hits before Schnoor took the hill in the bottom of the fifth inning. O’Dell replaced Schnoor with one out in the sixth inning. O’Dell finished the game to get the save.
The key for Chamberlain, Schnoor and O’Dell was they were all able to get out of jams. The Bruins (17-5) left 12 runners on base in the loss.
Chatfield senior Nick Chamberlain picked up the victory on the mound against Cherry Creek and also hit a solo home run in the seventh inning in the Chargers’ 8-4 victory Friday morning. (Dennis Pleuss)
“It’s double-elimination, but you do everything you can to win each and every one. We did what we had to do,” Stone said about throwing three pitchers. “Nick threw well. Schnoor gave us a chance to stay in it and O’Dell closed the door. It was a great pitching staff effort today for sure.”
Since the double-elimination format began in 2003, 9-of-11 5A state title winners started off the championship series with a 3-0 record. Regis Jesuit (2011) and Cherry Creek (2012) bucked the trend recently getting off to a 2-1 records in the first week of the tournament before going 3-0 in the second week to claim state titles.
Chatfield (20-2) got the important win Friday morning thanks to 15 hits off Cherry Creek pitching. Senior starter Cody Wood pitched into the seventh inning. The Chargers’ big innings came with a four-run third inning and three-run seventh.
Seniors Matt Jarecki and Chamberlain both had solo home runs for Chatfield.
Despite throwing four innings Friday, Chamberlain said he would be game to take the hill either Friday or Saturday.
“Some teams might run out of arms with the double-elimination format, but I think we’ll be fine,” Chamberlain said. “I could throw next game if they need me.”
Longtime Cherry Creek coach Marc Johnson is in his 42nd season coaching the Bruins. Cherry Creek has won eight state baseball titles under Johnson, including one in the double-elimination format.
“I try not to outguess myself,” Johnson said of how he decides to start on the mound in the tournament. “We feel like we threw our best available. We’ll throw our best available tomorrow. My philosophy has always been if you are going to get beat in the state tournament make them beat the best guy (pitcher) you’ve got. Chatfield beat the best guy we got today.”
Johnson is counting on Cherry Creek’s depth carry the Bruins to a pair of must-win elimination games Saturday. No 5A team has ever lost their first game of the state championship series and gone on to win a state title.
“I think we’ve got the depth. I think there are a lot of teams in here that have talent. I think we have the depth,” Johnson said. “I’m looking forward to playing tomorrow. Our season is based on tomorrow. We win two or we are done.”
Cherry Creek will face Chaparral at 10 a.m. Saturday at Machebeuf High School.
Mountain Vista received a pitching gem from junior Will Dix against Chaparral in the second game of the day at All-City. Dix nearly went the distance in a 4-0 victory for the Golden Eagles. The junior gave up just four hits before junior Marc Mumper came in with two outs in the top of the seventh to get the final out.
Chaparral senior Jacob Hernandez took the loss on the hill for the Wolverines. Home runs by Dylan Formby and Cale Sparks was all Mountain Vista needed offensively to stay in the winner’s side of the bracket.
Mountain Vista then beat Chatfield in the final game at All-City, 7-1. That puts the Golden Eagles in the all-important 3 p.m. game Saturday at All-City against Rocky Mountain. The winner of that will be in control of the 5A tournament.