Post Photo by Chris Siers Second baseman Conner Melson swipes Tyler Baxter for an out during Game 1 against the Rockets on Monday.
By CHRIS SIERS
csiers@bedfordcountypost.com
It was a wild District 9-AA series between two evenly-matched teams that ultimately saw Cascade win in a walk-off 4-3 win on Monday night, before falling in a high-scoring, 16-10 Game 2 on Tuesday.
CASCADE 4, FORREST 3
For four innings, starting Champion pitcher Walker Craig and Rocket starter Preston Gentry settled into a stellar pitcher’s duel.
Although Gentry went the distance and fanned 12 batters in the process, in the end, it was Cascade who came through with a walk-off on a Logan Green base hit in the bottom of the seventh to complete the comeback, 4-3 win for the Champs.
Forrest got on the board and broke the scoreless stalemate in the top of the fifth inning by scoring two runs, but the lead didn’t last long.
A James Magee RBI double scored the first Champion run in the bottom of the sixth and a Forrest error at second base allowed the tying run to score.
Forrest answered and with a disciplined approach at the plate, drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh to take a 3-2 lead over the Champs and put all the pressure on Cascade heading to the bottom of the inning.
After two quick outs, it was Green to stepped to the plate and slugged a single to deep center field, scoring Jayden Hathcock and Sawyer Lovvorn to complete the Champion rally.
Cascade out-hit Forrest 9-6 and was led by Craig at the plate, who went 2-for-3.
Jordan Childress and Magee both doubled in the win for Cascade.
Craig was impressive on the mound, pitching six innings, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts.
Gentry was impressive for the Rockets
Forrest 000 020 1 — 3 6 2
Cascade 000 002 2 — 4 9 2
Cascade: Jordan Childress 1-for-2, Walker Craig 2-for-4, Jayden Hathcock 1-for-3, Logan Green 1-for-3, Isaac Winton 1-for-1, James Magee 3-for-3.
WP: Crosslin
LP: Gentry
Post Photo by Chris Siers Short stop Jordan Childress cleanly fields a hit and comes up firing the throw to first for the out.
FORREST 16, CASCADE 10
It was a wild Game 2 in the District 9-AA series between Cascade and Forrest on Tuesday night, with the Rockets evening the score in the series with a 16-10 marathon win over the Champions.
Tuesday night was nothing short of a seesaw affair between both teams.
Forrest put the pressure on Cascade early and jumped on starter Jayden Hathcock.
The Rockets showcased their discipline and drew four walks off Hathcock and built a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
After Rocket starter Luke Allen sat Cascade down in order in the top of the first, but Cascade struck back and got on the board with a Logan Pulley RBI single to center field, but lead base runner James Magee was thrown out advancing to third to end the inning.
While Hathcock saw his pitch count climb to 41 pitches in the first inning, the Cascade coaching staff turned to senior Sawyer Lovvorn to fill key middle innings in relief.
Lovvorn entered the game in the second inning and gave Cascade a much-needed scoreless frame.
While Cascade was the victim of a laborious inning on the mound, the third was equally as difficult for Forrest.
After Walker Craig was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, he scored a second Cascade run of the night and a bunt by Jaxson Miliken squeezed the tying run home.
The Champs got two more runs in the four-run third off a bases-loaded walk by Logan Green and a sac-fly RBI from James Magee to give Cascade a 5-3.
But as quickly as Cascade rallied for the two-run lead, Forrest responded with 10 runs over the following two innings and never gave up the lead again.
There was plenty of offense to go around between both teams, who combined for 20 hits.
Lovvorn led Cascade, going 1-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs, while Craig also was credited with two RBis.
Lovvorn pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief for Cascade and was charged with nine runs on five hits, while striking out three.
Caden Hammonds pitched well in relief for the Champs, going 2 2/3 innings, giving up three unearned runs on five hits.
Cascade 014 130 1 — 10 8 3
Forrest 304 612 x — 16 12 1
Cascade: Jordan Childress 2-for-4, Sawyer Lovvorn 1-for-4, Logan Green 1-for-1, Caden Hammonds 1-for-2, Wickey Parker 1-for-3, Logan Pulley 1-for-3, Conner Melson 1-for-3.
WP: Walk
LP: Lovvorn
