By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Staff Writer
On X @GDsullysays
PENNSAUKEN TOWNSHIP — As a sophomore last spring, Cherokee second baseman Brett Jackson had eight runs batted in. He collected half that total with one swing of the bat on Tuesday afternoon in the Chiefs’ season opener at Bishop Eustace.
Jackson launched a two-strike pitch over the 310-foot sign down the right-field line for a grand slam that broke the game open, as Cherokee rallied from an early 1-0 deficit and cruised to an 8-1 victory. Jackson’s home run took the Chiefs’ lead from 2-1 to 6-1, and erased the frustration of being no-hit by Crusaders starter Eamon McDermott for the better part of five innings. All eight of Cherokee’s runs came in the final two innings, as McDermott was saddled with the loss after exiting in the top of the sixth. He was responsible for baserunners that scored on bases-loaded walks off the bullpen prior to Jackson’s slam.
“Eamon is a really good arm, so seeing a bullpen arm come in, I had seen the velocity (from McDermott) so I was ready for a different arm,” said Jackson, who went 2-for-4. “When I was in the on-deck circle I felt really good, especially with a new pitcher coming in. But that inning would have been nothing without Steve Barbagiovanni’s infield single starting things off. I saw (the short right-field fence) and thought, ‘yeah, today might be the day.’ It was a two-strike count and I was just thinking ‘contact’ and got the pitch I like. I didn’t think it was going out. I was sprinting out of the box and I saw it just kept carrying.”
Cherokee trailed most of the game after starting pitcher Brett Gable, a Harvard commit, allowed an unearned run in the first inning, and at one point his counterpart, McDermott, struck out seven straight batters. What started out as a pitcher’s duel turned into a slugfest in the final two innings, however. The top of the sixth started out well enough for Eustace, as McDermott — who finished with 10 strikeouts — got a comebacker for the first out. But then Barbagiovanni reached on an infield single and Cooper Burti followed with a single to left. A passed ball put the tying and go-ahead runs at second and third, and Eustace went to the bullpen.
Brett Chiesa walked to load the bases, and consecutive walks to Alex Odud and Jason Brown gave Cherokee a 2-1 lead, setting up Jackson’s heroics. Chiesa added a two-run double down the right-field line in the seventh to extend the lead to 8-1.
“(Jackson) was our full-time starter at second base last year. He got hurt around the middle of April and missed two weeks. He struggled when he first came back, but he finished strong and he has not stopped hitting since we started on March 10,” said Cherokee skipper Marc Petragnani. “That’s his third home run this season — obviously the first one that counts. When he swings at the ball, it feels like the ball owes him money. He swings so hard and he’s always ready to hit.”
“Eamon shoves. He has a great arm, and if you look at the scoreboard, you saw how he shut us down,” Gable said. “But that was just pure electricity from B.J., a grand slam is huge, especially in a game like this. We call him ‘Brett Bonds’ this year because he’s been absolutely raking in the scrimmages. With the way he’s been hitting, he’s going to have an amazing year this year. I think it’s just experience. We have a good group of guys and I think that has allowed (Brett) to come out of his shell a little bit more. He has a leadership role and has really contributed so far.”
Both teams came in ranked in the top 15 in the state by nj.com, and the pitching lived up to billing. Of the 78 pitches McDermott, a Georgetown commit, threw, only three went for hits. Gable allowed just two hits and one unearned run in four innings while striking out seven, and his reliever, fellow senior Henry Radbill, was just as effective. In three innings of work he fanned five and didn’t allow a hit while working around four walks.
Gable settled in after a shaky first inning that saw him throw nearly 30 pitches.
“I came out a little shaky, but I found the reins and let my competitive nature take over. That’s a good team over there, well respected. You have to put your best out there and compete, and that’s what we did today as a team,” Gable said. “Getting away with one (in the first inning) was huge. The innings following that were just as important with keeping my pitch count down, which allowed me to go deeper into the game. It was a rough first inning, but I smoothed it out. We just had to go out and compete and play as a team.”
Having a week between the first two games of the season because of the school’s senior trip allowed Cherokee to use its two best pitchers in the season opener.
“Pitching is our strength. Anybody who knows our program right now knows we’re incredibly deep on the hill. We were able to us both of our senior lefties today — Brett Gable was phenomenal. To come out of that first inning only giving up one run, a run already in on a passed ball and second-and-third with nobody out, and to hold them scoreless the rest of the way, that kept us in the game,” Petragnani said. “McDermott on their side was phenomenal. He was unhittable. We just kept trying to grind out at-bats. Barbagiovanni got an infield single and the gates kind of opened up a little. I’m sure (McDermott) was on a pitch count with it being Opening Day. We worked good at-bats to get to (Jackson), and Brett delivered the big blow.
“Henry is not a reliever for us, he’s a starter for us, but we were taking advantage of the senior trip,” the coach continued. “We don’t play again until next Tuesday, so we were able to use that to our advantage. Neither one of them was going to start a batter after 65 pitches, that’s why I got nervous with Henry at the end because he was at 62 (with two outs in the seventh). I had somebody ready just in case. To come here on Opening Day — they are a great team, and to find a way to hang in there and get a win was crucial. Now the seniors can enjoy their trip to Florida.”
Cherokee won 16 games a year ago and lost in the second round of the state playoffs to eventual South Jersey Group 4 champion Eastern Regional, and the Chiefs are looking for more this spring.
“My coaches are huge on making sure I came into this season healthy, and I can’t thank them enough for that. I think I’ll be ready to ramp it up as the season goes on. Hopefully in my next outing I’d like to be at about 90 (pitches) and just go out and compete,” said Gable, who had a 2.31 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings last year as a junior. “We have really high expectations. Everybody has a role to play, whether that’s the pitching staff, the lineup or even the bench guys. Everyone has a big job to contribute. Our team motto this year is ‘For the Brand’ and I think we’re really embracing that and playing for the team.”
Added Jackson, “I’m really excited for this season. I have high expectations. We’re a really good hitting team and we have arms. I think it’s going to be a good season. All of our players except for one have all had a varsity year, so everyone is comfortable.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Cherokee hosts Camden Catholic on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. Bishop Eustace takes on Kingsway on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Ralph Shaw Classic.
