BELL BUCKLE — While the Cascade Champions made a strong comeback effort in their second game of a doubleheader against the Davidson Academy Bears on Thursday night, they ultimately fell short in an 8-6 loss where the Bears launched three home runs.
Davidson Academy got off to a quick start with the long ball as they knocked all three homers in the first two innings, including a two-run shot to take a 4-0 lead – and a bases loaded walk added one more run before the second inning ended for a 5-0 early advantage. 
Champion starting pitcher Logan Green closed the inning with a four-pitch strikeout for his fourth of the game. 
He fanned five batters in 2 1/3 innings of work. 
Cascade found a rhythm at the plate in the bottom of the second inning with Sawyer Lovvorn and Zach Crosslin knocking singles which set up Chance Brown to bring Lovvorn home on a single of his own to lessen their deficit to 5-1. 
The Bears added two more runs in the top of the third inning on a two-RBI double to make it 7-1, and Green was replaced on the mound by freshman Elizah Wesenberg two at-bats later. 
Wesenberg struck out the first batter he faced, and forced a fly out to close the half inning. 
Davidson Academy plated their final run of the game in the top of the fourth to take an 8-1 lead, but the Champions came clawing back an inning later. 
A walk and two singles to open the bottom of the fifth inning put Jaxon Sheffield in prime position to give Cascade some much needed runs, and he answered the bell with a two-RBI single to right field to make it an 8-3 game. 
Soon after Noah McGeary scored on a bases loaded walk, and Sheffield made it all the way back around on a sacrifice fly to close the gap even more. 
Heading into the sixth inning, Cascade trailed 8-5.
After Cascade kept the Bears hitless in the top of the sixth inning, Sheffield notched his team-high third RBI of the game with another single to right field to score Chance Brown after he previously stole second and third. 
Neither team could muster a hit in the final inning as the game came to a close.

Davidson Acad. 1421 00 0 — 8 8 1
Cascade 010 041 0 — 6 8 0

Cascade: Zach Crosslin 1-for-2, Chance Brown 2-for-3, Noah McGeary 2-for-4, Jaxon Sheffield 2-for-4, Sawyer Lovvorn 1-for-3. 
WP: Graham
LP: Green 

DAVIDSON 17, CASCADE 8
In the first of the two-game set, the Champions jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after the second inning, but Davidson Academy got hot at the plate and launched five home runs throughout the contest, including three three-run shots for a 17-8 win over Cascade. 
Cascade pushed three runs across in the bottom of the first to take a 3-0 lead with a pair of walks and singles, and later extended their lead to 4-0 in the second on a two-out double by Chance Brown scored Logan Green. 
The Bears answered back with a two-run shot in the top of the third to close it to a 4-2 game, and tied it at 4-4 an inning later with another two-run homer.
Later in the same half inning, they added five more runs on a sacrifice fly, RBI single, and a three-run homer to take a 9-4 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth. 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Champions made it a 9-5 game with a Lovvorn single and three-consecutive walks brought him all the way back around. 
Cascade added three more runs later in the game, but the Bears stayed hot at the plate and scored eight more runs on four hits and two three-run shots throughout the final two innings to secure the win. 
The Champions will be back in action on Monday night against the Forrest Rockets for their first district game of the season. 
First pitch in Bell Buckle is set for 6:30 p.m.

Davidson 002 703 5 — 17 16 1
Cascade 310 101 2 — 8 12 0

Cascade: Chance Brown 2-for-3, Walker Craig 2-for-3, Sawyer Lovvorn 2-for-4, Tyler Rodgers 1-for-2, Jaxon Sheffield 1-for-2, Noah McGeary 1-for-3, Logan Pulley 1-for-3, Conner Melson 1-for-4, Logan Green 1-for-4.
WP: Suggs
LP: Crosslin