By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

It’s one down, and one to go for the Callaway Cavaliers.

Callaway came into the week knowing it needed to beat Heard County twice to capture the Region 5-AA championship.

Callaway got one of those wins in convincing fashion on its home field on Tuesday afternoon.

The Cavaliers scored eight runs in the first three innings, and they rolled to a 9-2 victory to improve to 9-1 in the region, while the Braves fell to 8-2.

The two teams will play a doubleheader at Heard County on Friday, and Callaway needs a split to secure its second straight region title.

“We haven’t done anything yet,” Callaway head coach Dusty Hubbard said. “You have to find a way to get one win at their place.”

The Cavaliers took care of business early on Tuesday.

After scoring two runs in the first inning and one run in the second, Callaway exploded for five runs in the third inning to build an 8-0 lead.

That was plenty of support for Chandler Lott, who continued to mow down opposing batters.

Lott, the senior right-hander, pitched six shutout innings, and he held to Heard County to three hits while striking out seven.

Dawson Wright pitched the seventh inning for Callaway.

Offensively, leadoff hitter Drake Wade had two hits and a walk, and he had an RBI.

Lott had a hit and two RBIs, Kyle Campbell and Braelin Mitchell each had a two-run double, Wesley Marchman had an RBI single, and Trent Sheppard had a hit and two runs scored.

The Cavaliers got started early with two first-inning runs.

Wade led off with a walk and Sheppard had a base hit, and they both scored on a two-out double by Campbell.

“Kyle’s two-out hit was big,” Hubbard said. “That kind of settled us in. That was a huge hit, and let us take off a little bit. We did some things after that to add on, and Chandler threw well like he always does.”

The Cavaliers added a single run in the second inning.

With two outs, Wade singled, and Bryce Kurian scored when the throw to first went awry.

After Lott threw a perfect top of the third, Callaway busted it open with five runs in the bottom of the inning.

With two men on, Mitchell’s two-run double gave the Cavaliers a 5-0 lead, and Marchman followed with an RBI single.

With two outs, Kurian hit the ball on the ground, and when the throw sailed into the outfield, two more runs scored, and Callaway led 8-0.

The Cavaliers capped their scoring with a single run in the sixth inning.

Wade singled and Sheppard walked, and Lott followed with an RBI single.

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