BELL BUCKLE, Tenn. – The Cascade Champions (8-4, 0-2) won their third-consecutive game on Tuesday night against the Huntland Hornets (1-8, 0-2), 10-4. 

Huntland opened the game by scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first inning on a one-out, 2-RBI single to take a 2-0 lead.

Cascade scored a run of their own in the bottom of the inning after a leadoff walk by Jordan Childress preceded an RBI-double from Xyakaiah Dixon to cut the lead in half, 2-1.

Xyakaiah Dixon (5) went 1-3 at the plate with a 2-RBI double and a walk in Tuesday's win over the Hornets.

David Smith

After Dawson Youngblood posted a zero on the mound in the top of the second inning, the Champions’ offense carried that momentum into the home half, scoring four runs to take a 5-2 lead. Jaxson Milliken led off with a single into left, Daymian Maldonado worked a walk to force the Hornets to bring in a new pitcher, and then Elijah Wesenberg reached safely on a bunt to load the bases. Childress was then hit by a pitch to drive home the tying run, Dixon hit a sac fly to left to put Cascade ahead, 3-2, and then Wesenberg came home to score on a dropped third strike to double the lead, 4-2. Childress scored on another error from the catcher to put the fourth run of the inning on the board, 5-2. 

Huntland responded with a pair of runs in the third inning to cut the lead to one, 5-4, and then neither team scored again until Cascade found some insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings. 

Caleb Crouch opened the fifth by reaching safely on an error at short, and then with two outs, Maldonado came up clutch with a RBI-single into center. Following an infield single by Wesenberg, Maldonado came home to score after a Childress grounder forced an error at second base to put Cascade up 7-4.

After Jayden Hathcock, who came on to pitch for Youngblood to open the fourth inning, sat down Huntland in order, Cascade worked a pair of walks to open the bottom of the sixth. Wickey Parker then stepped into the box and promptly lined a 2-RBI double into right, and after an error in the field, Parker was able to come around to score on the play, giving Cascade a commanding 10-4 lead that they would not relinquish. 

Wickey Parker (2) went 1-4 at the plate with a 2-RBI double in the sixth inning on Tuesday.

David Smith

Dawson Youngblood got the start on the mound, lasting 3.0 innings and giving up four earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two on 54 pitches. Jayden Hathcock came on in relief for the final 4.0 innings, allowing no hits and striking out seven batters on 43 pitches.

At the plate, Childress went 0-2 but drew a walk and a HBP to tally one RBI. Dixon went 1-3 with a double and a walk with two RBIs, and Wickey Parker went 1-4 with his 2-RBI double. Jaxson Milliken batted 2-4, and Maldonado went 1-2 with one RBI and a walk.

Cascade recorded six hits total, but benefited from six Huntland errors on the night to pick up its eighth win of the season. The Champions return to district play on Monday against Cannon County after a pair of games on Thursday and Friday to close out the week. Thursday’s game is at Moore County with first pitch set for 6:00 p.m.