High School Softball:
Cherokee's Singley Shuts Out West

Wednesday, April 22, 1998

By Crystal Parker
SJSports Staff Writer

Just imagine walking up into the batter's box and preparing yourself to face a pitcher who has thrown all of her pitches over the plate with high velocity. Each one thrown would be called a strike by the umpire. So you dig your cleats into the dirt and prepare yourself for a duel with this pitcher. Well that's what Cherokee and Cherry Hill West batters were ready to do. As the game started, both teams would see nothing but strikes from Cherokee's MariEllen Singley and West's Jamie Elias. But it would be the Chiefs who would open up the scoring and beat West 12-0 at Cherry Hill.

This game would start out looking to be a pitcher's duel. Both teams could not place the ball in the field as the first inning yielded three strikeouts by both starting pitchers. Cherokee would manage to get the first hit of the game by Kelly Rose in the top of the second inning. With a runner on the base, Coach Steve Shall would call for the steal which Rose would slide in safely. The Chiefs would come through with a hit to score the first run of the game. MariEllen Singley would take care of the Lady Lion batters in the bottom of the second inning and record her sixth consecutive strikeout.

Cherokee would expand an early 5-0 lead when they erupted for 7 runs in the sixth inning to defeat Cherry Hill in an Olympic Patriot Divisional game. Singley would finish the game with 10 strikeouts and keep the Chiefs undefeated in their division.