BELL BUCKLE, Tenn. – The Cascade Champions (13-6, 3-3) got their bats rolling in Monday’s 10-0 run-rule win against Huntland (11-5, 2-2).

Jayden Hathcock started on the mound for Cascade, pitching all 5.0 innings and giving up just a single hit while striking out 10 batters on 63 pitches.

Grant Jernigan started for Huntland, pitching 3.0 innings and giving up seven runs – two earned – on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts on 57 pitches. Kasen Kildoo came on in relief, pitching the final 1.1 innings and giving up three runs – two earned – on three hits and one walk on 27 pitches. Huntland as a team committed four errors to help the Cascade cause offensively. 

Neither team scored in the first inning, then the Champions exploded for six runs in the bottom of the second. Thomas Demartelaere and Jayden Hathcock led off with a pair of singles, River Maddox walked to load the bases with one out, and then an error on a ground ball hit by Daymien Maldonado scored the first run of the game. Xykaiah Dixon singled home Hathcock to double the hosts’ lead, then Caleb Crouch came through with a 2-RBI single to give Cascade a 4-0 advantage. Finally, Wickey Parker delivered another 2-RBI single to balloon the lead to 6-0.

Cascade pushed another run across in the bottom of the third on a Dixon sacrifice-fly to center field, then the Champions scored three more runs in the fifth to trigger the run-rule.

Elijah Wesenburg worked a leadoff walk, Maddox reached safely, then Dixon delivered yet again on a 2-RBI double to left field. Finally, Jordan Childress walked off the Hornets with an RBI-single into left to take the 10-0 lead. 

At the plate for Cascade, Childress led off going 1-for-4 with an RBI, Caleb Crouch went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a double, and Wickey Parker finished 1-for-3 with an RBI. Demartelaere was 1-for-2, Hathcock went 1-for-3, and Maddox finished 1-for-2 with a walk and three runs scored. Dixon was 2-for-2 with four RBIs at the bottom of the lineup.

Cascade takes on Franklin County on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. before hosting Richland on Friday followed by the ‘Battle of Bedford’ series against Community on Monday.