UNIONVILLE, Tenn. – The Cascade Champions (13-6, 4-3) outlasted the Community Vikings (13-13, 3-4) in game one of the District 9-AA “Battle of Bedford” series, 4-1, on Tuesday night.

Cascade’s ace, Jayden Hathcock, was dominant on the mound, throwing a complete game while giving up just one earned run on three hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts on 106 pitches. 

Meanwhile, Community pitching gave up a combined four earned runs on seven hits and four walks with five strikeouts over the seven innings. 

The Champions opened the scoring almost immediately in the top of the first inning. Jordan Childress worked a leadoff walk before Xykaiah Dixon singled to put runners on first and second. Caleb Crouch bunted both runners into scoring position, Thomas Demartelaere worked a full-count walk, and then Wickey Parker drove home both Childress and Dixon on a fielder’s choice to put Cascade in front, 2-0.

After Hathcock made quick work of the Vikings’ bats, the Champions tacked on to their lead in the top of the second. Jaxson Milliken lined a one-out single into center field, and then River Maddox laced an RBI-double to the centerfield wall to extend Cascade’s lead to 3-0. 

Community scratched across its first run of the game in the bottom of the third with a two-out RBI-single from Hayden Davis into right field to cut the lead to 3-1. 

However, Cascade got that run back in the top of the fourth, beginning with a Wickey Parker leadoff double. Parker advanced to third on a wild pitch before Hathcock worked a walk, and then Parker took advantage of a passed ball to come home and extend the Champs’ lead to 4-1. 

Neither team could plate another run for the remainder of the game, and after Cascade’s fourth run, there were only four more base hits tallied by both teams.

For Cascade, Dixon went 2-4 at the plate, Wickey Parker finished 1-3 with a double and two RBIs, and Jaxson Milliken went 2-3. River Maddox finished 1-3 with an RBI, and Daymian Maldonado went 1-2 at the plate with a walk.

For the Vikings, Hayden Davis went 2-3 at the plate with the hosts’ lone RBI. Davis accounted for two of Community’s three total hits on the night.

Cascade hosts Community for Game Two on Wednesday night with first-pitch set for 6:00 p.m.