Lady Champion catcher Aimee Taylor tags out Forrest baserunner Haley Mathis in the second inning. (T-G Photo by Jimmy Jones) [Click to enlarge]

Defending District 9-A champion Forrest scored nine runs in the fifth inning to break open a one-run game and defeat Cascade 10-0, move into the trophy round and drop the second seed into the losers' bracket against the winner of today's Boyd Christian/Eagleville game.

The Lady Champions (16-8) were unable to break through offensively against the offerings of Forrest pitcher Shelby Stinnett but it did not deter their effort on the defensive side of the ball to keep them in the game.

The first gem was center fielder Kathleen Lohay's laser throw to catcher Aimee Taylor to catch Lady Rocket baserunner Haley Mathis trying to score on a medium-deep fly ball in the second.

Taylor caught Rachel Curtis straying too far off third base after a failed suicide squeeze play to kill another potential rally in the third inning.

Cascade hit several balls hard in the early going that found their way directly to Forrest defenders.

The Lady Champs ended the game with no hits and only one runner, Tiffany Gibbs, able to reach second base after working her way on via a walk in the second inning.

The Lady Rockets (28-6) put the game away in the fifth inning with six base hits, four for extra bases, to account for the final margin.

"Not much you can do with a team that comes out and hits the ball like they did in the last inning," Cascade coach Jeremy Austin said. "We played good defense and a pretty good game overall but there is no defense for balls hit between and over fielders.

"Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the other team and live to play another day."

Leigha Carter took the loss on the bump allowing 10 hits. She struck out one and walked three.

Stinnett was outstanding for the Lady Rockets with no hits, one walk and five strikeouts.

Cascade continues play at 7 tonight.