Champion teammates wait at home plate to congratulate Corey Mullins following his solo home run. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

For the first time since 2001, Cascade baseball brought home a Region 5-A championship plaque after downing host Nashville Christian 7-3 on Tuesday night.

The victory marked some semblance of revenge. The Eagles ended the Champions' season on the very same diamond in the region semifinals in two years ago and bused out of Wartrace last season with the 5-A title.

"It just shows that we are a little bit better than we were last year I hope," Cascade coach Chris Parker said. "We've got the big one left. Everything is on the line again Friday night."

They don't get much bigger than the showdown on Friday that Parker eluded to. The third-ranked Champs (27-5) expect the largest crowd to ever witness a baseball game in northeast Bedford County when they take on No. 4 Richland under the lights at 7.

The winner of the sectional heads to the Spring Fling in Murfreesboro. Loser goes home.

"All seven seniors know that we can go out our last game before state being on our home turf and being with our home fans," Champion pitcher/shortstop MoMo Stewart said.

The Raiders (28-3) fell 10-8 to No. 5 Summertown in the Region 6-A championship Tuesday.

Cascade third baseman Justin Bryant attempts to knock a low throw down. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Parker went through four different pitchers to keep the Nashville Christian sticks quiet.

"We wanted to have everybody available on Friday because all the money is on the table," he said.

Sophomore right-hander Kyle Saylor got a rare start and the District 10 kings wasted little time welcoming him, loading the bases in the bottom of the first. Josh Edwards smacked an RBI single and Cody Hartley worked a bases-juiced walk to drive in their second run.

Cascade outfielder Nick Batts bailed his mate out by snagging a line drive off the bat of Davis Fleming and then threw Mike Grey out at the plate for an unconventional double play.

It took the visitors till the fourth frame to start ringing the bell themselves, but they did so loud and clear once they started swinging. Corey Mullins delivered a towering shot for his ninth homer on the season to get the Orange and Black on the board. Kyle Clanton, Justin Bryant, Tyler Bowen and Zack Hill all delivered singles to keep the rally going and give them a 5-2 lead.

"These guys have been down before, and they've proven they can battle back and they did it again one more time," Parker said. "We got out of there smelling like a rose as (former Riverdale) coach (Buddy) Powers used to say."

Zach Bledsoe singled home Caden Anderson with a score for the Eagles (25-12) in their half of the fifth. Stewart relieved Blake Harvey and promptly left Grey and Woody Hartley freezing at called third strikes to end the threat.

Pitcher MoMo Stewart threw 2 2/3 scoreless frames. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The red-headed fireballer finished with five strikeouts over the final 2 2/3 innings to sew up the crown.

"Coming back from last year, not being able to win the region, it was a letdown, but we still kept fighting," Stewart said. "To win this region is a really big accomplishment for us all."

Seniors Clanton, Stewart and Bryant banged out base hits in the fifth to key a two-run insurance inning.

"We had been putting the ball in play off (Nashville Christian starter Brooks Taylor) early, and we finally got to him and knocked him out of the game," Parker said. "The kids did a good job of hitting the baseball, staying focused and battling."