Cascade's Lauren Claxton safely slides under the tag of Van Buren County pitcher Stacy McClindonen during the second game of Friday's doubleheader. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

Batting practice at 9 a.m. On the bus to Spencer by 10. Roughly four hours of a round-trip ride. First pitch in Wartrace at 2 p.m.

Gilligan himself didn't have to travel that long before stumbling upon shoreline.

Cascade and Van Buren County competed in a doubleheader on Bedford County soil last season. Thus, the Lady Champions agreed to return the favor to the Eaglettes and make the trip this year. However, a confused coach forgot the agreement and the District 9-A meeting was delayed a couple hours and took place again in Wartrace.

Thirty-three runs later it was impossible to make out any highway hypnosis on the faces of the Lady Champs. They shrugged off the drive time and opened the double-dip with a 17-0 victory, which included Leigha Carter's third no-hitter of the young season.

The sophomore struck out five in three innings pitched. A walk and a hit batter were all that stood between her and a perfect game.

Kathleen Lohay tripled, doubled and singled to pace a 14-hit attack. Tiffany Gibbs singled twice and tripled. Torey Hornberger and Lauren Claxton contributed a pair of hits each.

"The girls responded well," second-year Lady Champion coach Jeremy Austin said. "They went out there and hit the ball well. The defense was good. Leigha pitched two very good games."

Following a five-run first, the Orange and Black crossed the dish 12 times in the second frame.

Katelyn Mason was the losing pitcher.

Cascade 16, Van Buren County 1: Austin inserted four fresh faces into the starting lineup and his girls hardly missed a beat.

Cierston Simmons reached via error and scored to get the Spencer ladies on the board first.

The Lady Champs (5-2, 3-0 9-A) took control with four runs in the bottom of the second without a hit. Gibbs tripled and doubled to highlight a 14-run third that completed the walk-off win.

Simmons singled to right in her second at-bat to break up Carter's bid for another no-no. Carter fanned three and didn't walk a batter in three innings of work.

Cascade's toughest test of the season comes Tuesday against Forrest in a rematch of last year's 9-A championship. The game is scheduled for 12:30 in Chapel Hill.

"Chapel Hill is probably the top team in the district right now," Austin said. "Hopefully, we can show up over there and play good defense and hit the ball well."