A scorching hot-hitting squad from Chesapeake, Virginia, crushed Cherry Hill Post 372’s hopes of earning a first-ever berth in the American Legion World Series, causing them to lose by one game.
Chesapeake defeated Cherry Hill 10–6 in Sunday’s Mid-Atlantic Region final game in Ridge, Maryland, after scoring four runs in the first inning and never looking back.
Chesapeake now advances to the American Legion World Series in Shelby, North Carolina, from August 14–19 as a result of their victory.
In the New Jersey American Legion championship, Cherry Hill defeated Brooklawn 6-5 to progress to the Mid-Atlantic Regional. There would have been another match in the double-elimination state tournament if Cherry Hill had lost that one.
In 2023, the final New Jersey squad to play in the American Legion World Series was Brooklawn.
Cherry Hill had a 23-3 record at the end of the season.
In a phone interview following the game, Cherry Hill head coach Kyle Bordner stated, “This was the most successful season in our team’s history, and I am extremely proud of this group.” Bo Gray, the general manager, did a fantastic job of assembling a team that was not only incredibly skilled but also passionate about the game and played it correctly.
This is a difficult pill to swallow, said Bordner, an assistant coach at Cherry Hill West. We were on the verge of traveling to Shelby, but I have nothing but praise for the kids—they fought hard, and the Virginia squad was amazing.
Despite losing its fourth game, 6-3, against New Castle, DE on Saturday, Cherry Hill was the only team to go 3-0 in the first three days of the regional competition, guaranteeing them a spot in the final.
Chesapeake defeated New Castle Delaware 4-0 in their opening match of the competition, but they won their next five games to capture the regional title.
Chesapeake defeated New Castle 13-2 in five innings in Sunday’s opening game, an elimination match, to secure their spot in the championship matchup versus Cherry Hill.
Chesapeake had amassed 27 runs in its last two victories going into the final, and the bats were still blazing.
Catcher Ryan Gocio, who will be a freshman at James Madison, blasted a two-run double to give the champions a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Gocio was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored, a home run, and a double.
In the bottom of the second, Cherry Hill reduced the lead to 4-1 thanks to an RBI single from Brian Martello, a 2024 alumnus of Cherry Hill West who played for West Chester University this past season.
Trey Campos doubled for two of the four additional runs that Chesapeake would score in the third inning.
Colin Lebel, the winning pitcher and incoming freshman at George Washington University, gave up two runs against Cherry Hill in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Cherry Hill’s Jordan Henriquez, a 2024 graduate of Cherokee, scored on a throwing error and hit an RBI triple.
Cherry Hill scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with a 10-3 deficit.
Grant Fournier, a recent graduate of Cherry Hill West, added a two-run double, while Brett Chiesa, a recent graduate of Cherokee, smacked an RBI double.
The first-ever New Jersey American Legion state championship was the high point of Cherry Hill’s great season.
Both the New Jersey state tournament and the district tournament saw Cherry Hill go undefeated.
Numerous Cherry Hill athletes participated in significant regional competitions. Josh Litsky, a right-hander who recently graduated from Cherokee and is going to La Salle, pitched seven innings in two outings and went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA.
A Rowan commit, Chiesa finished 7-for-20 (.350) with eight RBIs, five runs scored, four doubles, and a home run.
Shortstop Recent Cinnaminson graduate Noah Harvey, who is going to Richmond, finished 5-for-12 (.417) with four RBIs, two doubles, a home run, and seven runs scored.
Jake Barletta, an outfielder who recently graduated from the Rancocas Valley and committed to Rowan, went 8-for-20 (.400) with three RBIs and four runs.
In a phone interview, Barletta stated, “This has been a better experience than I could have imagined.” I couldn’t have played with a finer group of players, and I adore my coaches and teammates, who have influenced me this summer.
