The Forrest Rockets beat Cascade 3-2 Tuesday night in a game that came down to a bitter ending for the Champions, but oh so sweet for Forrest.

"It has not been that long ago since I was in that other dugout," said Forrest head coach Chris Parker. "It's Cascade/Forrest at tournament time, that's all you can say."

Left fielder Austin Harmon saved the day for the Rockets, gunning down the potential tying run at home plate to end the game in the top of the seventh inning, securing Forrest a spot in the District 9-A Chapel Hill bracket final.

"Harmon made a hell of a throw after Jones makes that error and we ended the ballgame in a good way," said Parker.

Milestone win

The win was number 20 on the season for the Rockets (20-12), who have not reached that milestone since their runner-up finish at the Class-A State Tournament in 2006.

Logan Hollingsworth earned the win on the mound for Forrest, holding Cascade scoreless over the first six innings, giving up just four hits, while striking out four and walking three Champion batters.

Hollingsworth tired after surrendering a leadoff base hit to Dylan Marlin in the top of the seventh, giving way to Ryan Yelensky, who walked the only batter he faced before Jacob Daughrity came on to pick up the save.

Cascade wasted a two-out double by Blake Floyd in the first inning before the Rockets scored a pair of runs in the home half of the frame on a big two-out, two-run single by Landon Jones that scored Daughrity and Alex Brewer.

Pitcher on target

Hollingsworth set down Cascade 1-2-3 in the second and the Rockets left two-on with two-outs in the bottom of the inning.

The Champions went down in order in the third and fourth, but Forrest could not push any more runs across in the same two innings off Champion starter Chandler Monagem.

Austin Smith reached on a Forrest error with one down in the top of the fifth and was sacrificed to second on a nice bunt by Marlin, but Hollingsworth retired Chandler Sulcer on a ground ball to Brewer at shortstop to end the inning.

Daughrity singled with one out in the bottom of the fifth and Cascade intentionally walked Brewer to put runners on first and second, but Daughrity was picked off second base moments later.

Brewer alertly went to second on the rundown play and came home to score when Austin Harber drilled an RBI triple to center field, making it a 3-0 ballgame.

Major decision

Hollingsworth was showing signs of tiring in the top of the sixth; walking three out of the first four Cascade batters he faced in the inning.

Nolan Barnes finally got Cascade on the board with an RBI single, but Hollingsworth escaped any further damage on a grounder back to mound and an inning ending fly ball to Daughrity in center.

The Rockets went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth before Marlin's leadoff hit in the seventh.

Close escape

Sulcer followed the Marlin base hit with a 3-2 walk off Yelensky before Daughrity came to the hill and got the next two outs on a strikeout and a line drive to Jones at third.

"I went back and forth, Hollingsworth is a horse, maybe I should have taken him out in the sixth, maybe in the seventh, but I stuck with him," said Parker. "Hollingsworth battled all night long and we went to the bullpen and old Daughrity came in and did a heck of a job."

Floyd came to the batter's box for Cascade and grounded a two-strike pitch that got past Jones at third as Marlin scored easily on the play and Sulcer tried to follow him home, but Harmon came up firing, nailing Sulcer on a bang-bang play at the plate to end the game.

Forrest managed seven hits in the game with Daughrity (2-3) and Jones (2-3, RBI) each getting a pair of base knocks.

Horvath (1-2, BB), Harber (1-3, RBI, 2RS, RBI), and Tanner Garvin (1-3) all had one hit apiece.

Looking ahead

Cascade and Community will square off in the loser's bracket final tonight at 5:00 p.m., while the Rockets await the winner, who must beat Forrest twice to stop Parker's crew from a trip to the championship tilt and a Region 5-A Tournament berth.

"I think for this program and myself personally, it has been a while since we have been in this spot, and it gets tougher and tougher from this point forward," said Parker. "We just have to stay focused and take one game at time, win that first one and get to the region."