TULLAHOMA, Tenn. – After an early ending in 2025, the Cascade Champions (1-0) began the 2026 campaign with a bang, taking down Class AAA Tullahoma (1-2) in a low-scoring affair, 2-1, on Thursday at Grider Stadium.

Jayden Hathcock secured the win on the mound for Cascade, lasting 4.0 innings and giving up one unearned run on four hits and two walks while striking out four batters on 77 pitches. Caleb Crouch followed up with 1.1 innings of allowing just a single baserunner via a walk with one strikeout on 22 pitches followed by Wickey Parker pitching the final 1.2 innings with four strikeouts and just one hit on 22 pitches.

For Tullahoma, Xander Pogue threw 3.0 innings, giving up one hit and one walk with two hit batsmen and two strikeouts on 47 pitches. Elijah Austell relieved the Wildcats’ starter, but he only recorded two outs while giving up two unearned runs on four walks with one strikeout in 29 pitches. 

Tullahoma found their only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning when a leadoff walk to Addian Evans resulted in a run scored after JD Schmisseur singled his teammate home with two outs via an error at the plate.

Neither team threatened again until the top of the fourth inning when Caleb Crouch led off the inning by reaching via a Wildcat error. Austell entered the game immediately afterwards, and River Maddox worked a walk to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Austell struck out Hathcock, but then Daymian Maldonado worked a walk to load the bases. Thomas Demartelaere worked a walk to drive home Crouch, and then Jordan Childress also drew a walk two batters later for the Champions’ second run of the game to take a 2-1 lead. 

Cascade nearly added onto its lead in the top of the seventh when they loaded the bases with one out, but after Maldonado struck out swinging, Xykaiah Dixon was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch to end the threat. 

Parker gave up a one-out single, but Tullahoma never truly threatened Cascade’s lead, and Parker slammed the door shut to register the save with back-to-back strikeouts.

In all, the Champions registered just three hits coming from Dixon, Maddox, and Maldonado, but they were extremely patient at the plate and worked eight walks to generate the two winning runs. They also committed just one error in the first inning, and swiped five bases as a team with Dixon stealing two.

Meanwhile, Tullahoma committed three errors, drew just three walks, and struck out nine times as a team despite tallying five hits which were all singles.  

Cascade improves to 1-0 overall. The Champions travel to Franklin County on Friday with first-pitch set for 6:00 p.m.