BELL BUCKLE — After giving up five runs in the top of the third inning for a 7-0 deficit, the Cascade Champions battled back to make it a one-run game heading into the final three frames with the Marshall County Tigers, but the rally came to an end for a 9-7 loss. 
The Tigers (5-9-1) opened the scoring in the top of the second when Eli Cross dropped a two-out single into left field to score Thomas Beech and Trey Warner, and they followed it up with the five spot in the third on only one hit as five batters were walked and one was hit by pitch. 
Throwing strikes has been a key to success for Cascade (6-10) head coach Travis Sheffield all season, having struggled with that early in the season, and it came back to bite them against the Tigers. 
“It’s the same story that we had early in the season,” Sheffield said. “We walked guys and walks turned into runs. That’s how they had that big inning. It got cleaned up later in the game, and the game changed.”
In the bottom of the third, the Champions scraped one run across on a Noah McGeary single that scored Chance Brown after he knocked a leadoff double down the third base line. 
McGeary and Brown both went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Cascade. 
With a 7-1 deficit heading to the fourth inning, Sheffield looked to the arm of Brayden Dennison for the rest of the game, and he gave the Champions a chance to rally. 
In four innings of work, Dennison struck out three batters while giving up two runs and walking one.
“He went at guys and challenged them at the plate,” Sheffield said.
“The defense got behind him and the dugout got rowdy. We tried to make a run late, but we couldn’t get the big hit that we needed. It just fizzled out.”
Marshall took an 8-1 lead after John Morgan Thomas launched a solo homer in the top of the fourth, but the Champions didn’t back down as they rallied for six runs in the bottom half of the inning. 
Logan Green and Logan Pulley jump started to rally with a pair of singles, and they quickly made it back around to score when Dennison hit a line drive to right field to make it an 8-3 game.
A few at-bats later, Jaxon Sheffield grounded out to first base for the second out of the inning, but Sawyer Lovvorn scored on the play for another run.
Dennison made his way back around to score on the next at-bat as Walker Craig reached base on a fielding error to make it 8-5. 
Two more runs scored immediately after with Conner Melson rocking the second pitch he saw off the left field wall, just short of going over for a home run to tie the game, and the Champions faced a one-run deficit with three innings to play. 
Melson and Dennison both notched a team-high two RBIs on the night. 
With momentum on their side, Cascade made quick work of the Tigers in the top of the fifth with a 1-2-3 inning that ended with Brown making a diving catch at third base for the final out, and their dugout exploded with energy. 
“We have grit. I just told the guys that the dog is showing up. He just comes late sometimes,” Sheffield said. “When the guys throw the pinstripes on, that’s when the dog should come out – to protect home field. Coach Matt said before the game that he thought we would come out flat, and we did. Marshall is a well-coached team, so hats off to them for playing well.”
Despite the momentum being on their side, the Champions went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, and Marshall plated one more run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth to make it 9-7.
Cascade mustered just one more hit over their last two innings at the plate, and the Tigers held onto the win. 
After a contest with the Moore County Raiders on Saturday, the Champions will host the Forrest Rockets for their third meeting of the season with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.

Marshall Co. 025 1010 — 9 5 1
Cascade 001 6000 — 7 11 0

Cascade: Chance Brown 3-for-4, Noah McGeary 3-for-4, Sawyer Lovvorn 1-for-2, Brayden Dennison 1-for-3, Logan Pulley 1-for-3, Logan Green 1-for-3, Conner Melson 1-for-4.
WP: Cross
LP: Hathcock