BELL BUCKLE , Tenn. – Caleb Crouch pitched six complete shutout innings, Jayden Hathcock launched his fifth home run of the season in the fourth inning, and the Cascade Champions (23-7, 5-3) fended off a battle-tested Huntingdon Mustangs (22-10, 6-0) squad, 2-0, in front of a capacity crowd on Wednesday.

“The atmosphere was electric. Kudos to Bedford County,” Cascade Head Coach Travis Sheffield said, “Bedford County showed up today with us being the only baseball game in town which kind of helped. I saw some [Shelbyville] Central guys out there in the stands, and that’s huge for our county. I know we’re all competitive and root for our own team, but to look over there and see Bedford County people cheering for us, it’s huge.”

Like he has done all postseason, Caleb Crouch started on the bump in the series opener for the Champions, and he was practically unhittable. Crouch pitched 6.0 innings, giving up just two hits while working around five walks and striking out nine batters on 112 pitches.

“We’ve known what we’ve had with Caleb [Crouch],” Sheffield said, “He just battles. His mindset is just different. That’s the type of guy that you can run out there in a big game one, like here’s your ball dude, go make something happen. He works his way out of jams. The dude just came up big for us, and he’s really done it for us all year long, but he’s usually done it with his bat. Can’t really say enough good things about him.”

Crouch found himself in a battle almost immediately after administering a one-out walk to Silas Sharp, followed by a two-out walk to Broox Bennett to put Sharp in scoring position and bring up Colt Wood. Wood sharply lined a single into center field, but Elijah Wesenberg gunned down Sharp on a perfect one-hopper at the plate that allowed Thomas Demartelaere to easily apply the inning-ending tag.

Crouch seemed to settle into a groove for the next three innings, keeping the game tied at zero as his offense began to figure out the Mustangs’ starter, Caleb Ezell. Then, in the bottom of the fourth inning, Cascade’s Mr. Baseball favorite, Jayden Hathcock, came through with the biggest swing of the game.

After Wickey Parker’s bloop single into right, Hathcock got ahold of a 1-0 pitch from Ezell, crushing a no-doubt two-run home run to right-center field and giving the Champions a 2-0 lead they would not relinquish.

“[Jayden] Hathcock has protected Wickey [Parker] all year long, and he’s come up big when we’ve needed him to, not just on the mound, but at the plate too,” Sheffield said about his Mr. Baseball Finalist, “I know I’m partial to an extent, but he’s our Mr. Baseball.”

However, the Cascade nerves began to show amongst the crowd beginning in the top of the fifth. The 7-8-9 hitters were due up for Huntingdon for the second time, but the first two batters reached safely after a leadoff walk and then an error fielding a bunt, giving the Mustangs two runners on with nobody out. Crouch struck out Ezell, but the lineup flipped over and Crouch would have to work his way out of the jam while facing the top of the Mustangs’ lineup for the third time. 

Nonetheless, Crouch buckled down, striking out both Hayes Eubanks and Sharp to end the threat and send a jolt of lightning through the fiery Cascade crowd.

Then, in the top of the sixth, the biggest controversy of the game handed the Mustangs a golden opportunity to plate their first runs of the night. First, Braylin Dearmon reached as the leadoff man after a dropped third strike on a wild pitch. Crouch got the first out on a groundout from Bennett, but Dearmon got himself into scoring position at second safely. Wood then worked a one-out walk after the home crowd and Sheffield both felt like a called strike three was called on the full count pitch, especially after Wood had taken his first steps into the Mustangs dugout. Even so, Wood was allowed to head down to first base, and then Kenton Smith then worked a full-count walk to load the bases.

However, a critical baserunning error by the Mustangs proved to be a crucial moment late in the game. After a wild pitch for ball two went to the backstop, Dearmon slipped trying to retreat to third after overextending his lead in an attempt to reach home, and the Champions eventually picked up the second out after putting Dearmon in a pickle. Crouch hit Cy Hankins three pitches later to re-load the bases, but then he struck out Owen Kreuziger on perhaps his best curveball of the night to slam the door shut.

After a quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth, Cascade handed the ball over to its closer, Wickey Parker. The left-handed Parker induced a groundout by Ezell, but the lineup flipped over for the Mustangs. Eubanks came through with Huntingdon’s first base hit since the fourth inning, but then Parker got Sharp to ground into a game-ending 1-4-3 double play.

“Every week, we get to that fifth and sixth inning, and then some adversity hits,” Sheffield said, “The way these guys keep finding a way to get through the fifth and sixth inning and hand the ball off to whoever comes in…I think the boys know, if we can just get the ball to who it’s supposed to get to, they believe in it.”

This win marks the first state sectional win in Sheffield’s four-year tenure. Cascade made it to the sectional round in 2023, but was swept on its home field by Cannon County. The Champions look to punch their first ticket to the State Tournament since 2015 in game two on Thursday night at 6:00 p.m.