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Ironmen knock off top-ranked team
CHERRYVILLE - After a lackluster performance in the second round against Hayesville, Cherryille regained its focus Friday night against the state's top-ranked 1A team.
The Ironmen delivered one of their sharpest performances of the season in an 8-2 win over Swain County.
Cherryville (19-7) made it look easy against the Maroon Devils, who entered the game 21-2 and ranked No. 1 in the latest Impact Baseball poll.
A five-run outburst in the third inning put Cherryville in control, and the Ironmen rode the solid pitching of senior Seth Freeman to a berth in the 1A Western semifinals next week.
Freeman (7-2, 1.52 ERA) scattered seven hits, struck out five and successfully battled a tricky crosswind that was blowing from left to right field.
The Ironmen supported Freeman's effort with an opportunistic defense that turned double plays in the first and second innings after Swain got the leadoff batter on base. Cherryville's only error came in the sixth inning, and by that point the Ironmen were up 7-2.
"Seth pitched a great game, just like he has all year, and we were sharp everywhere," Cherryville coach Scott Heavner said. "I was proud of the way we played. We beat a good baseball team soundly."
Freeman helped his own cause by going 2-for-3 and triggering the big inning in the third with a head-first slide at home plate.
Chandler Benfield also went 2-for-3 with a RBI single and a wind-blown home run over the right field fence.
Bryan DaCanal, who had the game-winning hit in the comeback win over Hayesville, contributed a double, a single and two RBIs in four trips.
"We were definitely pumped up for this game," Freeman said. "They were ranked No. 1 in the state in 1A, and we had been hearing about them. We were ready to play and wanted to make a statement."
In the pivotal third inning, Cherryville collected five hits off Swain County starter Brad Roland and took advantage of two errors.
Freeman scored the first run of the inning on a play that started out as a baserunning mistake.
With one out and Freeman at third, DaCanal hit a roller to left side of the mound. Swain pitcher Roland elected to throw to third on the play instead of chasing Freeman with the baseball.
Freeman broke for home on the throw and beat the relay at home with the head-first slide.
"It was kind of a mistake to be in that situation," Freeman said. "I thought he was going to throw to first, but when he didn't I just took off. I knew I had to do something."
The play at home gave Cherryville a 2-0 lead, and the Ironmen broke the game open with three straight hits, including a two-run single to right center by freshman Thomas Bess.
Swain County lost 11-1 to Cherryville last year in the second round, but the Maroon Devils expected a different outcome in the rematch, coach Brandon Deitz said.
"We felt we were more prepared this year. But we made some errors, they got to us and it just happened that quick," said Deitz, who loses 11 seniors to graduation.
S 000 101 0 - 2 7 3
C 105 011 x - 8 10 1
W - Seth Freeman. L - Brad Roland. HRs, Cherryville, Chandler Benfield.
