Bartow 14 year old Dizzy Dean team pushes state championship round to deciding game

Bartow County forced a second championship game Wednesday night (July 8) at the Dizzy Dean 14 year old state tournament with a 9-6 win over Whitfield County. Whitfield entered the finals of the double elimination tournament unbeaten. They sent Bartow to the losers’ bracket earlier in the tournament. Bartow County and Whitfield County will square off Thursday (July 9) at 5:30 pm at Hobgood Park in Woodstock to determine the state championship.

Bartow scored four times in the first inning to take an early lead, but Whitfield battled back to even the score at 6-6 going to the bottom of the sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth, Bartow’s Toby Queen started the inning with a walk one out walk. B.J. Roper followed by reaching on an error, followed by a walk to Jacob Cody to load the bases.

Bryson Markley then doubled in two runs and Cody scored on a ground out to give Bartow a three run lead., 9-6.

Queen pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the win on the mound in relief of starter Markley and middle reliever Connor Gallagher. Markley struck out three over three innings. Gallagher tossed one inning and struck out one. Queen struck out two in the seventh.

Roper and Cody had two hits apiece and both scored twice to lead the Bartow offense. Gallagher, Markley, Austin Baker, and Parker Hardin added one hit each.