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GHSA Playoffs: Cherokee Survive Mountain View

May 1, 2021
Hudson Graham
PBR Georgia

Canton, Ga - 7A playoffs kicked off Thursday night at Cherokee High School. The #2 seed, Warriors hosts the #3 seed Mountain View Bears. Cherokee finished at 12-3 in their respective region, and Mountain View finished 7-5. Game 1 and 2 were both packed with action, with close ball games to the end. Cherokee took game 1 8-6, and Mountain View answered back with a 7-6 win in game 2. Cherokee would go on to take the series, winning game 3 6-0.

Game 1

Uncommitted ‘22 Max Eichenberger took the mound for Cherokee in game 1. He made an impact for the Warriors last year as Sophomore, and has really found himself this spring, and has proved to be one of the top uncommitted players in the state. Eichenberger cruised through the entire Bears line-up without allowing a runner on base. He struck out the first 5 batters of the game. Fastball was 87-90 with an effortless delivery, but what was most impressive was his off speed command. He mixed in a slider at 76-78 and change-up at 79-80 that had hitters guessing.


Georgia Southern commit ‘21 Carson Mynatt leads charge for the Warriors in the line-up. He doubled off the right field wall to get things going in the first. He then stole third would later score on a first and third play. ‘23 Landon Luster finished the inning off with a rbi single to make it 3-0 heading into the second.

Uncommitted ‘21 LHP Thomas Greeson started on the mound for the Bears. Fastball was 79-84 with arm side run. After the first he settled in and threw more strikes. He would mix arm slots, but struggled to throw the side arm pitches for strikes.

‘22 Max Eichenberger worked with ease through five innings. Only allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out nine. After a leadoff walk in the 6th the Warriors made two back to back errors at second base that would give the Bears a chance. Uncommitted ‘21 Nicholas Hong capitalized with the bases loaded with a single to right to make the score 5-1.

After a fielder's choice for the first out, ‘24 1B Cooper Johnson took advantage of  a hanging breaking ball and sent it to deep right center to bring the Bears within two. ‘21 C Max Gault followed it up with a single up the middle to tie the game, but would get thrown out trying to advance.

Uncommitted ‘21 Joe Fisher got the Warriors going in the bottom of the 6th with a leadoff walk. ‘22 Chase Goddard had a sacrifice bunt to get the runner over to second. Lincoln Memorial commit ‘21 Austin Cole hits a ball hard to third to force an error, and give the Warriors the lead. Uncommitted ‘21 C Cody Montgomery followed it up with a sacrifice fly to deep left to make it 7-5.

Cherokee managed to get one more run across in the 6th to make it 8-5. The Bears continued to fight in the top of the 7th when ‘22 OF Landen Fernandez hit one to deep right in which appeared to be a double, but turned into an inside the park homerun after a throwing error by the outfielder.

Uncommitted ‘21 LHP Ed Manke closed it out for Cherokee. Fastball was 80-83 with sink, and mixed in a curveball at 71-73.

Game 2

Uncommitted ‘21 Ed Manke picked up where he left off and started game 2 on the mound for the Warriors. He would face off against fellow lefty and Vanderbilt commit ‘21 Kenny Mallory.

Mountain View jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first. ‘21 Landen Fernandez led the game off with a double. ‘21 Kenny Mallory and ‘21 Ryan Westfall followed it up with back to back singles. Mallory would take to the mound and retire the side in order.

The Warriors got things going in the 2nd with a lead-off single by ‘22 Max Eichenberger, a double by ‘22 Tyler Presnell, and a triple by ‘24 Jackson Bradfield. ‘21 Joe Fisher and ‘21 Alix Morales kept things going with back to back singles. They tied the game at 4-4 heading into the bottom half.

‘21 LHP Ed Manke settled in after the first and managed to only give up one run in the next to innings. Pitching a scoreless 3rd.

‘22 Max Eichenberger tried to get things going in the 3rd with a loud double to left.

There looked to be some life in the top of the 4th when ‘23 Landen Luster led the inning off with a single.

‘21 Kenny Mallory managed to work out of it despite another single from ‘21 Austin Cole.

‘22 RHP Chase Goddard came in relief with the bases loaded and 1 out in a tie ball game. ‘21 Ryan Wesfall fought off a breaking ball to give the Bears the lead.

Goddard followed it up with a big strikeout. ‘23 Tyshon Patty sent a chip shot to center that would give the centerfielder trouble reading and it managed to drop in for a single to score 2. Patty ended up getting caught trying to advance to second. Mountain View took the lead 7-4.

Vanderbilt commit ‘21 Kenny Mallory found his groove and came up with a big strikeout in the 5th to strand Warrior base runners.

‘22 Chase Goddard pitched a scoreless 5th and 6th and gave the Warriors a chance in the top of the 7th. ‘23 Landon Luster and ‘21 Joe Fisher got things going with back to back singles.

‘21 Austin Cole puts one in play to force an error and score Luster to make it a 7-5 game. Georgia Southern commit ‘21 Carson Mynatt sent one deep to right field that would get caught against the wall, but would score Fisher to make it a one run game.

‘21 Max Hobgood closed it out for the Bears to give them the 7-6 victory to force a game 3.


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