Courier-Post from Camden, New Jersey • Page 23

COURIER-POST SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 1980 7B wins title 'behind McGettigan. Cherokee STATE GROUP 3 SOFTBALL think was that if our team could just get some extra runs we could relax and settle down," said Schwartz, who was three-for-four with three RBIs. "Our defense has always been air-tight, but when our hitting got going I knew we had it." McGettigan doubled in Stone in the sixth to ice the game as Cherokee accumulated 11 hits. "We have 15 girls who all contribute," said Caputo, who led Lenape to a state title seven years ago. "Girl-for-girl they're the most solid team around." Junior Sharon Crabill was the backbone of the Cherokee defense throughout the tournament as well as acting "infield coach" for Caputo.

"I try to keep everybody together and keep them up," said the hustling shortstop. "I thought it was going to be a rebuilding year at the beginning, but everything fell in place and we matured very quickly. By the end it all came together." And Cherokee's dream came true. Cherokee 8, Hanover Park 1 By MARY BETH BALDWIN Of the Courier-Post WEST WINDSOR Catcher Elaine McGettigan, the unheralded half of Cherokee High School's 1-2 punch, hit a home run and threw out five runners to lead the Chiefs to their first state championship in school history here yesterday. Cherokee rolled to an 8-1 victory over Hanover Park to earn the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's state Group 3 softball crown.

McGettigan, best known as the catcher for super pitcher Paula Murray, used her strong arm and quick reflexes to keep Hanover's potent bunt and steal attack in check. The quick North Jersey team was able to steal only one base. "My coach told me to be alert at all times, that they were very aggressive," said the senior catcher, who showed her alertness as she threw out two runners at second, one at first and blocked two runs from scoring at the plate. Murray, who struck out seven and allowed only three hits, gave credit to McGettigan for her role in the victory. "She proved herself today said Murray.

"She's an All-Star." "She has to be one of the best in the state," said Coach Jim Caputo of his catcher. "There are no ups or downs in her catching form. She's just a solid player." McGettigan also gave her team its initial offensive boost as she homered to deep left in the top of the first to put Cherokee ahead, Hanover Park answered back in the bottom of the inning as Nancy Wisnewski walked, advanced to third on a bunt by Linda Lurz and scored on a wild pitch. Cherokee went ahead in the third when right fielder Sue Stone walked, advanced to second on a fielder's choice and scored on freshman Tracy Warren's single to left cen-ter. The bottom of the third saw the last threat Hanover could muster.

Senior Marge Brown smashed a triple to right-center but was blocked stealing home by McGettigan. The Chiefs added to their lead in the fourth inning. Freshman Robin Schwartz singled, advanced to second when Sue Bailey was walked and both runners scored on a hit down the third base line by Stone. In the fifth inning, the Cherokee freshman trio accounted for three insurance runs. Freshman third baseman Tracy Warren walked and moved to second as Jennifer Horner singled up the middle.

Designated hitter Robin Schwartz then belted a homer just inside the foul line in left field to give Cherokee a 7-1 lead. "When I stepped to the plate all I could innings paces Hammoiton's win STATE GROUP 1 SOFTBALL 7 -ram Hammonton 7, Roselle Park 2 By MARY ELLEN DRISCOLL Of the Courier-Post WEST WINDSOR A seven-run outburst in the second inning carried Hammonton High School to a 7-2 win over Roselle Park in thestate Group 1 softball championship game at Mercer County Park here yesterday. The victory was the first-ever state championship for Hammonton. The Blue Devils reached the state finals twice in the last three years before taking this win. The early-inning hitting provided hurler Hallie Jones with more than enough support.

The junior allowed just two hits, both singles, and one earned run. The Blue Devils used more than their strong, solid-through-the-lineup hitting or Jones' rising fastball for the win. It was an emotional victory. Part of the emotion came because of the other trips to the state finals, but "The coaches told us at the beginning of the season not to expect too much," said senior Norton, who took special pride in the win after sitting out most of last year with torn knee ligaments. "We lost a lot of people and were a very untested team.

We couldn't live on last year's name. Instead, we had to make a name for ourselves," "I didn't think we had a chance to get here again," admitted Carnasale, a senior. "Nevertheless, we worked at the beginning of this season, just because we wanted to see exactly what we could do." "Coming into today's game, we knew we couldn't possibly get over-psyched," said second baseman Doris Aughenbaugh, the third senior on the team. "We were calm because we knew that we had gotten this far when a lot of people didn't expect us to." To Chappine, the win belonged to more than just the players on the field and in the dugout. "I thought that, if we ever won this thing, the win would belong to anybody who ever played softball for most of it was for another reason.

The team dedicated the game to long-time Hammonton booster Harry Scoglio, who passed away Monday after a lengthy illness. "Just for us to get here was enough for him," said senior shortstop Tra-cey Norton. "We wouldn't have disappointed him if we didn't win this game, but it's still nice to have the win for him." i Hammonton took quick control of the game and played good defense behind Jones, who retired eight of the first nine batters. The Blue Devils were determined not to rest on the big lead. As a team which spent the season as a scrappy comeback squad, they knew better.

"When you have a big inning like that, it's a temptation to relax a little," said catcher Nancy Carnasale, who, along with Norton, was a member of all three state finalists. "I concentrate on each individual pitch, PAULA MURRAY tosses three-hitter. life: DORIS AUGHENBAUGH 'we were calm' Hammonton High. It's the people who took pride in building a winning tradition that made this happen." MEN'S SOFTBALL pitched the wins. Phil Rehmer recorded two wins on the mound, pitch- (, ing the Woodlynne Raiders past WJ Trucking, 4-2, and 4-3.

Frank Tesco's' two-run triple in the fifth inning decided 5, the opener, while Butch McLean con-'J, tributed two hits and three RBIs in the second game. 1 Little Man's Lounge lost the opener of its doubleheader, 17-5, to Action Sports, but rebounded to take the second game, 7-5, as Ron Barr, who laced 1 four hits in the twin bill, pitched the win. SJ. Sports: Silver Lake Liquors solidified its hold on first place with an 1 1-3 triumph over 7-Eleven as shortstop Bob Guenther starred in the field and added three hits and three RBIs with the bat Winning pitcher John Richter aided his own cause with a three-run' homer. J.

Restaurant: Cinelli's captured a 21-15 slugfest from the Rusty Scuppen as Larry Maggi had five hits, including a three-run homer, and Paul France added five hits. 1 fa I IT Northern Burlington falls to Madison Boro Sneaks N' Seats tips Aces twice NANCY CARNASALE factor in big inning they had to hustle a little more this season to overcome the momory of last year's senior-dominated squad. DONNA STOUT numerous errors hurt STATE GROUP 2 SOFTDALL Madison 12, Northern Burlco 4 By MARY ELLEN DRISCOLL Of the Courier-Post WEST WINDSOR According to Murphy's Law, everything that can possibly go wrong, will go wrong. If that's the case, Murphy played for Northern Burlington's girls' softball team yesterday. Not the whole game, just the fourth inning of the Greyhounds' 12-4 loss to Madison Boro in the state Group 2 championship at Mercer County Park here.

In that nightmarish inning, Madison scored 11 runs, nine unearned, to spoil what one at a time, because you can't let yourself think about anything else. "We've come back so many times this year that we know it can be done. We certainly didn't think we had it won in the second inning." Paula Lucca, Julie Melendez and Norton opened the third with three straight singles to load the bases. Carnasale walked to force in Lucca and designated hitter Kathy DeFe-lice singled in Melendez, while Norton and Carnasale scored on wild pitches. "They played the same way they did all season after they got the lead," said Hammonton Coach Lee Chappine.

"They played with the same intensity this year, whether they were behind by five runs or ahead by 10. "This week alone, we won two games on runs in the last inning. They weren't going to let up any." The Hammonton players felt that Northern carried a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning after scoring two runs in the first inning. Cheryl Stevenson led off the game with a triple, scoring on a wild pitch. Dennis singled, scoring on Sherrie Albright's single.

Stevenson scored again in the fourth on an error, after reaching base with her second hit of the game. Madison's first six runs in the fourth inning scored on errors as the scenario looked like a badly-written horror movie. Of the first seven batters in the inning, which saw 14 Madison hitters go to the plate, only leadoff hitter Liz O'Connor reached base with a hit, a single. Stout replaced Dennis with Stevenson, but not before all 11 runs crossed the plate. The sophomore shut down the North Jersey squad, giving Northern back the control it enjoyed earlier in the game.

"It wasn't a textbook inning, for sure," said Dennis, who closed out a brilliant high school career with a 15-2 mark this season. "What hurts the most is that we didn't play well in losing. I know I'm personally down, but glad for the team in that we even got this far. "The weird thing is that Coach Stout coached us for situations like the ones we faced in that inning," said Dennis. "We practiced pickoffs and rundowns, all the things that we didn't do in the inning.

I guess executing them well comes with experi-" ence, and we didn't have that experience in this situation." Northern, which was known for its offense and not its defense throughout its season, did get one run back in the fifth when Albright doubled for her second of three hits and scored on an error. "I don't feel badly for the girls," said Stout "Just to make it this far is something to be proud of. Overall, I thought we had control over the innings up to that point and after that." "I thought we had a great year added Dennis. "I'm not going to con demn myself or my teammates for one bad inning." Gollingswood wins over Erlton Bowl Lakewood cruises to Group 3 crown Late rallies in both games gave Sneaks Seats a doubleheader victory over the Aces in Rainbow League men's softball play yesterday. Torrf Love tripled home Ed Shane, who had singled, in the sixth inning of the first game, giving Sneaks N' Seats a 64 win in the opening game.

A bases-loaded single by Hank Bass in the home seventh made it a sweep as the Aces fell, 8-7, in the nightcap. Frank Herron paced Plastics of Philadelphia to two wins over the South Jersey Rebels, 13-1', and, 17-3. Herron pounded seven hits, three of them home runs, as Bob Weisoff and Norm Silpe AREA BASEBALL final frame to grab a slim lead Bob DelVeccio collected the big blow in that inning, slamming a double that tied the score. Greentree bounced back in the bottom half of the seventh, though, when Lou Testa and Steve Dempsey drew walks, and Vince McAneney planted a sacrifice bunt that was overthrown at first base. Dave Stretch started the game for Greentree and fired six shut-out innings before tiring in the seventh.

Rich Green relieved Stretch and threw only one third of an inning and picked up the win. racquetball title drew to within 18-16 when Hogan scored the game's final three points. In the second game, Yellen jumped out to a 9-5 lead before Hogan got hot and scored 16 of the game's final 19 points. Yellen earned $12,000 for his second-place finish. was an otherwise strong team effort by Northern and pitcher Angie Dennis.

"In the whole season, we never had an inning like that," said Northern Coach Donna Stout. "They had mental errors you don't expect, make mistakes you don't expect. "You ask I don't think there is a real reason why. The routine plays just didn't happen. "Celia DeHuff, their pitcher, was fast, but she wasn't the key to the game.

The key was our numerous errors." STATE BASEBALL Ray Trent made his season record MM) with a two-hitter in South Brunswick's win GROUP 4 SOFTDALL Morris Knoll wins WEST WINDSOR Winning pitcher Kathy Johnson helped her own cause, driving in one run and scoring another in a three-run sixth as Morris Knoll captured the state Group 4 softball championship with a 5-4 win over Edison at Mercer County Park here yesterday. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Johnson walked to drive in pinch-runner Karen McKenzie, breaking a 2-2 tie. Dawn Purdy fol-lowed with the next Morris Knoll run, scoring on a wild pitch. Johnson scored what proved to be the game-winner when Carol Maioran slashed a single, her second hit and second RBI of the game. Bob Biehle doubled home the winning run and pitched Collingswood past Erlton Bowl, 3-1, yesterday in South Jersey Baseball League action.

Green-tree edged Barrington, 8-7, in the last inning in another SJL contest Biehl hurled all seven innings far Collingswood, yielding only one run on seven hits. But his big contribution came in the fifth inning when he slammed a two run double, plating Bob Dempsey and Kevin Feasler. The game was Collingswood's first of the season, while Erlton Bowl dropped to 0-2 as Jim Gallagher was tagged with the defeat Greentree held a six-run lead going into the final inning of their game, but Barrington battled for seven runs in the Marty Hogan wins LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) Top-seeded Marty Hogan of San Diego won his third straight Leach National Pro Racquetball title and a record first prize of $30,000 Saturday by defeating second-seeded Mike Yellen 21-16, 21-12 in the tournament's championship match. Hogan never trailed In the first game but Yellen, of Southfield, WEST WINDSOR RichDelConte, who pitched Lakewood to the Little League World Series championship seven years ago, led Lakewood High School to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 3 baseball championship yesterday at Mercer County Park here.

DelConte, who recorded his sixth state tournament this season, struck out nine and added three hits to the offensive attack as Lakewood defeated Newark East Side, 9-2. Livingston was victorious in Group 4, defeating Hamilton East, 3-0, South Brunswick took Group 2 with a 3-1 triumph over Garfield, and Secaucus earned Group 1 honors with a fr-0 win over Monroe. DelConte was one of seven members of the Lakewood team that partici-, pated in that memorable World Series win seven years ago. Ironically, the last Group 3 championship captured by Lakewood occurred that very year. Scott Parsons won his Uth straight, a six-hitter, and singled in the first run in Livingston's victory, and senior lefty Whitehead speaks TAVISTOCK Lehigh University football Coach John Whitehead, twice named ABC-TV National Col-; legiate Athletic Association coach-of -the-year in his division, will head a trio of Lehigh coaches at a golf outing and dinner Tuesday at tock Country Club.

In four years as the Engineers head coach, Whitehead has com piled a 36-13 record, an NCAA DivU sion II national championship in 1977 and a Division I-AA national runnerup finish in 1979. Joining Whitehead at the country club will be women's tennis Coach' Karen Adams and football assistant Coach Joe Sterrett. Golf begins at 1 p.m. There will be a reception at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7:15...