Summertown ends Champions' state run

Kyle Mullins fires in a fastball in his last performance on the mound for Cascade. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

MURFREESBORO -- Cascade's bid to compete in the school's first-ever state championship came up just short Thursday.

Summertown jumped out to a 4-0 first-inning lead and went on to run-rule the Champions 18-4, ending Cascade baseball's deepest run in school history.

"It's been a great year," first-year Cascade coach Brandon Bassham said. "Anytime you can win 36 games, it's a great season. I think we exceeded expectations by all means. But if you don't win the last game, it's a bitter way to end it and that's the case today. It's not how we wanted to end a great year."

The Champs needed a pair of wins over the well-rested Eagles at Middle Tennessee Christian's Joe Baron Field to advance to this morning's Class A title game at MTSU. Summertown (35-6) faces Decatur County Riverside (33-5) at 11.

"They're a good hitting team," Bassham said of Summertown. "I think we were probably out of gas both mentally and physically."

After graduating seven pivotal seniors from the 2008 team that made it to the sectional, Cascade fans didn't quite know what to expect, and neither did Bassham, who took over in the coach's box for Chris Parker.

A magical journey that lasted deep into May with first-place plaques from the Yellow Jacket Classic, District 9-A regular season/tournament, Region 5-A tournament and sectional has firmly entrenched their program into the elite level of Class A.

From their season-opening revenge win over Richland to the sectional and 14-inning marathon victories over Columbia Academy to keeping hope alive at the BlueCross Spring Fling by defeating both Monterey and defending state champion Jackson Christian, there's no doubt that this group has left their mark in the history book.

Champion shortstop Jared Carkuff goes full extension to try to pull in a wide throw to second base. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Even Bassham admitted he didn't realize this was the kind of roller-coaster he was buckling in for when his ticket for Wartrace was punched last summer.

"From going 0-4 in the preseason to where we are today, no, I never thought the ride would be this fun," said Bassham, whose team finishes with a record of 36-3-1.

Summertown used four singles and two walks in their four-run first to show the Champs that getting through them wasn't going to be easy.

Josh Brown singled and came home on Jay Bishop's groundout to answer immediately for Cascade in the bottom of the inning.

Logan Harville's home run in the second and Jimbo Ramsey's triple both yielded two more scores for the Eagles in the second and third innings, respectively, to bump their lead to 8-1.

Cascade dug their cleats deeper into the dirt in the third frame in trying to keep from being toppled. Base knocks by Bishop, Jared Carkuff and Kyle Mullins contributed to a three-run answer.

Clint Gobbell (7) and Logan Harville chest bump to celebrate the Summertown victory. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

In a seemingly never-ending fifth, Summertown pulled out the smelling salts to wake the Champs from having their dream season continue by sending 15 batters to the plate en route to 10 more runs.

Harville piled up four hits and seven RBIs to lead the Eagle hit parade. K.J. Roberts, Alex Huddleston and Logan Hendrix rode the two-hit floats.

Thomas Huddleston worked all five innings and didn't walk a batter to pick up the victory on the hill.

Carkuff was the losing pitcher after throwing for 2 2/3 innings. He was relieved by Mullins, Ryan Rippy and Gavin Elmore.

Brown finished with two singles in his final game in a Cascade uniform. Nunley singled to left field in his last at-bat. They depart alongside Mullins and Jacob Carkuff as the four lone seniors.

"You can't say enough about any of them, whether it was Kyle and Josh on the mound and of course they were (district) co-pitchers of the year. Then, just what Chase has meant to us. I think he led us in hitting and outfield assists. He had the big homer last night to get us into today. All of them have meant a ton to the program. I can't say enough good things about them," Bassham said.