STAFF REPORT
LYNNVILLE — Jayden Hathcock danced around a bases-loaded jam in the top of the second inning during Monday night’s season opener at Richland.
Following the jam, he hit his stride and was dominant in his final three innings pitched as Cascade crushed the Raiders, 8-0.
Hathcock gave up three-straight singles to load the bases with no outs in the second, before sitting the Raiders down in order.
Riding off the momentum of Hathcock working out of the jam in the second, senior Walker Craig put the Champs up 2-0 with a two RBI single to center field and Jordan Childress later stole home for a 3-0 Cascade lead in the top of the third.
Hathcock followed up with a perfect, 1-2-3- third inning, then helped his own cause and scored on a Richland error in the top of the fourth.
Cascade continued to pad its lead in the top of the fifth with another three-spot on a three-run blast by Sawyer Lovvorn.
Craig tacked on one final run for good measure on a RBI double to left in the top of the seventh.
At the plate, the Champions out-hit the Raiders 10-8 and played a clean game in the field without committing any errors.
Craig and Lovvorn each drove in three runs in the win, with Lovvorn going 2-for-4 with his three-run shot being the biggest hit of the night for either team.
Craig was also 2-for-4 with a double and a single as well.
During his five shutout innings on the bump, Hathcock gave up six hits, but struck out 10 batters and allowed a single walk before Zach Crosslin pitched the final two scoreless innings in relief.
Crosslin struck out two and gave up two hits.
Cascade is back on the road Tuesday night, taking on defending Class 1A state champion Eagleville, before closing the week with home games against Richland on Thursday and East Robertson on Friday.
Cascade 003 130 1 — 8 10 0
Richland 000 000 0 — 0 8 1
Cascade: Bryceton Bunch 1-for-4, Sawyer Lovvorn 2-for-4, Walker Craig 2-for-4, Jayden Hathcock 1-for-3, Thomas Demartelaere 1-for-3, James Magee 2-for-3, Jordan Childress 1-for-2.
WP: Hathcock
LP: Miller
