UNIONVILLE — After three extra days of waiting, Cascade and Community were finally able to meet for Game 2 of the District 7-AA series during a Good Friday afternoon matinee.
After Cascade struggled with consistency at the plate in Game 1, the Champs looked as good as they have all season at the plate, out-hitting the Vikings 13-3, but in the end, just couldn’t push enough runs across the plate in a 7-6 loss in Unionville.
Right out of the gates, Cascade threatened with a single by Hunter Lemmons to center field on the game’s first pitch.
Community flashed the leather and turned two when Conner Melson flied out to right field and right fielder Gage Underwood came up firing the throw to second base for the double play.
Cascade went on to load the bases in the top of the second inning after a lead off walk by Kobe Inmon, a single by Chance Brown and a sac-bunt by Caden Hammonds, who safely reached following a Viking fielding error.
With the bases loaded and nobody on, Noah McGreary singled to center field, plating the game’s first run.
But after the McGreary hit, Community pitcher Mason Russell settled in and recorded the final outs of the inning to leave the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the inning, it was Community who loaded the bases with a walk by Drew Harris and Blaine Paschal and Jaxon Roberts were each hit by a pitch, loading the bases in the Vikings’ favor.
Like Cascade in the top half of the frame, it was pitcher Walker Craig who worked his way out of the jam and left the bases loaded.
Both teams struggled at the plate through the next few innings and it wasn’t until the top of the fourth that Cascade once again loaded the bases with two outs.
Lemmons was hit by a pitch and Melson followed him on base with a ground ball single before Craig drew a walk to once again load the bases.
Needing a two-out hit to break the game open, Russell again forced a pop out to end the threat and leave the bases loaded once again.
In the bottom of the fourth, Community was finally able to push several runs across the plate.
Sam Holley drew a one-out walk and senior left fielder Stratton Lovvorn was ht by a pitch, bringing Maki Fleming to the plate.
Fleming safely reached on a Champion fielding error and Community had the bases loaded with just one out.
A savvy at-bat by Dylan Norris ended with a bases-loaded walk and Community scoring the first run of the inning.
Corey Paterick then singled in two more runs on a hit to center field and Lovvorn was able to score on a wild pitch, giving the Vikings a 4-1 lead by the end of the fourth.
The lead didn’t last long as Cascade once again was able to work the plate and post a big inning to tie the game at 4-4.
Kobe Inmon and Brown connected on back-to-back singles before Jake Bates, who took over on the mound in the bottom half of the fourth, helped his own cause with a 2 RBI double to center field.
Lemmons tacked on a third run of the inning on a hit to center field that fell in for a single.
After struggling through the fourth inning, Bates settled in and sat the Vikings down in order in the bottom of the fifth.
Cascade took advantage of the opportunity and it was a two-run homer by Ryan Inmon that gave the Champs a two-run lead.
Craig doubled to lead off the inning before Inmon clubbed the two-run blast to left, giving the Champs a 6-4 lead.
Following the home run, Community turned the mound over to relief pitcher Gage Underwood, who retired the Champions in order and prevented another big Cascade inning.
But it was Community who came through with a decisive sixth inning.
Lovvorn led off the inning with a walk and Fleming reached via Cascade error before Norris was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs.
Cascade reliever Tyler Knight answered with a strikeout and force a pop up, but a bases-loaded walk by Harris brought Community within one run.
Underwood then helped his own cause with a single to right, driving in two runs, including the game-winner.
After Knight struck out the final Viking batter of the inning, Underwood settled in on the mound and sat the Champions down in order to preserve the one-run victory.
Cascade certainly hit the ball better during Game 2 against the Vikings.
As a team, the Champs belted out 13 hits, with Hunter Lemmons, Walker Craig and Chance Brown all connecting for two hits.
Lemmons, Craig and Bates all doubled, while Ryan Inmon’s two-run blast was the biggest hit of the afternoon.
For Communty, it was a game of hits far and few between, with Fleming, Paterick and Underwood accounting for the only three hits of the day for the Purple and Gold.
Russell got the start on the mound and allowed six runs on 13 hits, while striking out six.
Underwood pitched the final two innings and didn’t allow a hit, while striking out one.
Craig started for Cascade and went three innings of no-hit baseball, while striking out two.
Bates worked two innings in middle relief and gave up just two hits and struck out three, before Knight took over and pitched the final inning.

Cascade 010 032 0 — 6 13 2
Community 000 403 x — 7 3 1

Cascade: Hunter Lemmons 2-for-4, Conner Melson 1-for-4, Walker Craig 2-for-3, Ryan Inmon 1-for-4, Kobe Inmon 1-for-4, Chance Brown 2-for-3, Caden Hammonds 1-for-3, Jake Bates 1-for-3, Noah McGeary 1-for-4.
2B: Lemmons, Craig, Bates
HR: R. Inmon
Community: Maki Fleming 1-for-4, Corey Paterick 1-fo-3, Gage Underwood 1-for-4.
WP: Underwood
LP: Knight