BELL BUCKLE, Tenn. – The Cascade Champions (13-5, 2-2) found a way to win a low-scoring pitchers’ duel against the Marshall County Tigers (7-14, 3-3), 3-2, at home on Friday night.

Jordan Childress got the start on the mound for Cascade, throwing 5.0 innings and giving up two earned runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts on 84 pitches to record the win. Dawson Youngblood came on in relief to secure the save, throwing the final 2.0 innings and giving up just two hits with no runs and one walk while striking out one batter on 28 pitches. 

Marshall County got on the board first with a two-out RBI single in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Cascade responded with a pair of runs to take the lead for good in the bottom of the second after Thomas Demartelaere led off with a single, Wickey Parker followed up with a double, and then Jaxson Milliken singled home the tying run from third. Daymian Maldonado then struck out, but the dropped third strike allowed Parker to come home to give Cascade the lead, 2-1. 

Neither team scored until the bottom of the fourth inning when the Champs tacked on an insurance run. Demartelaere led off once again, drawing a four-pitch walk. However, before Parker walked, Braxton Burris was caught stealing while running for Demartelaere. Milliken then singled Parker to second before Maldonado’s ground-ball to second was deep enough to allow Parker to touch home safely ahead of the throw, giving Cascade a 3-1 lead. 

Marshall County got the one run back in the top of the fifth inning, but Youngblood slammed the door shut in the sixth and seventh innings against the Tigers’ lineup to secure the win, 3-2.

Wickey Parker finished 2-2 at the plate with a double and a pair of runs scored while Jaxson Milliken went a perfect 3-3 with an RBI to lead Cascade. Maldonado recorded a pair of RBIs despite finishing 0-2 at the plate in the box score. Jayden Hathcock and Thomas Demartelaere recorded the other two hits for the Champs on the night.