SHAWN DIGIANFELICE

Sports Writer

The Battle for Bedford unfolded in two very different ways — and Cascade controlled both. Monday’s opener turned into a true pitchers’ duel between Cascade’s Jayden Hathcock and Community’s Wes Haley, with the Champions pulling out a 3-1 victory.

By Tuesday, the script flipped. Community carried a 3-2 lead into the sixth inning, but Cascade’s bats came alive late, erupting for a game-breaking rally to turn a close contest into a runaway finish and complete the district sweep.

Cascade – 3, Community – 1

Jayden Hathcock delivered a dominant performance on the mound Monday night, striking out 11 and allowing just one hit to lead Cascade to a 3-1 victory over Community in a tightly contested district matchup.

Locked in from the start, Hathcock controlled the game across seven innings, surrendering just one run while walking two and consistently working ahead in counts to keep the Vikings off balance.

The Champions broke through in the fourth inning, manufacturing runs without a hit. Elijah Wesenberg and Jordan Childress each drove in a run to give Cascade a 2-0 edge.

Wickey Parker added a key insurance run in the fifth, launching a solo home run to right field.

Offensively, Cascade made the most of limited opportunities, finishing with three hits. Parker, Xykaiah Dixon, and Hathcock each recorded a hit, while Parker, Wesenberg, and Childress accounted for the RBIs.

Community stayed within striking distance thanks to a strong outing from Wes Haley, who matched Hathcock for much of the night. Haley went six innings, allowing just three runs on three hits while striking out six.

Brody Armstrong drove in the Vikings’ lone run, finishing 1-for-2 at the plate.

Cascade – 12, Community – 3

Cascade used a game-changing sixth inning and a dominant bullpen effort to pull away from Community for a 12-3 district victory Tuesday night.

The game was tightly contested through five innings with Community matching Cascade’s energy and leading 3-2 going to the sixth inning.

The turning point came in the sixth, when the Champions erupted for six runs, then tacked on four more in the seventh to pull away from the Vikings.

Cascade’s offense was balanced and productive throughout the lineup, finishing with 11 hits and eight walks. Jordan Childress led the charge, going 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. Jayden Hathcock delivered a big night as well, collecting two hits and driving in three runs. Daymian Maldonado added two hits and an RBI, while Caleb Crouch, Wickey Parker, River Maddox, and Thomas Demartelaere each contributed key hits.

On the mound, Cascade leaned on a strong staff effort. Wickey Parker started and worked three innings, allowing four hits and three runs while striking out four. Jayce Cagle earned the win in relief, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings without allowing a hit. Crouch followed with 1.1 shutout innings, striking out four, and Brody Greene closed it out with a clean final inning, striking out two as the bullpen combined to completely shut down Community over the final four innings.

Community showed early promise offensively, finishing with four hits and drawing eight walks but struggled to capitalize, leaving 11 runners on base.

Masyn Hill led the Vikings at the plate, going 2-for-2 with an RBI. Dylan Markum added a hit and drove in a run, while Josh Powers recorded a hit and scored. Isaiah Beech also contributed an RBI, helping Community stay within striking distance early.

On the mound, Logan Reed gave Community a stellar outing , working 5.1 innings while allowing five hits and four runs (one earned) with five strikeouts.

However, control issues and defensive miscues proved costly late. Josh Powers was tagged for five runs in relief, and Beech allowed three more, including a home run, as Cascade’s offense capitalized in the final innings. Maddox Thompson added a scoreless appearance to finish the game.

Cascade (17-7, 5-3) wrapped up the regular season with a third-place finish and will open District 9-AA tournament play Thursday at Summertown. All tournament games will be hosted by the higher-seeded team. First pitch on Thursday is set for 6:30 p.m.