Yancey helps lead Canes past Gilmer
Cartersville bounced back from a non-region loss Wednesday to take care of region business on Thursday and delivered a 7-4 win over visiting Gilmer at Richard Bell Field.
The victory keeps Cartersville atop the Region 7-AAAA standings, one-half game ahead of Heritage-Catoosa pending the Generals' outcome at Pickens Thursday night.
Zach Yancey was 4-for-4 at the plate for the Canes and drove in three runs to lead the offense that totaled 11 hits. He also picked up the pitching victory as the Cartersville starter.
The Canes scored twice in the bottom of the first to take an early lead.
Elliott Anderson doubled to right field to open the inning. Carrington Evans followed with a walk and Devin Warner was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Zach Yancey then hit a ground ball single into left field that scored Anderson and Evans.
Cartersville tacked on a run in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 3-0. Jacob Fowler doubled to start the inning, Parker Tidwell followed with a walk and Anderson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Evans then launched a sacrifice fly to right field that enabled Fowler to tag and score.
The Bobcats narrowed the margin to 3-2 in the fifth inning.
Chandler Sution, McKinley Chadwick, and Barnes hit three consecutive singles to load the bases. Drew Healan drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and Chadwick later scored on a wild pitch.
On the mound, Yancey yielded only one walk, no hits, and struck out seven in the first four innings, but was lifted in the fifth inning after two outs, leading 3-2. Anderson (1.1 IP, 0R, 2H, 1BB, 1K) entered to retire the third out in the fifth and pitched a scoreless sixth inning. He finished the night allowing three hits, a walk, and two earned runs in 4 and 2/3 innings.
The Canes responded by distancing themselves in the bottom of the fifth and added another run in the sixth for a 7-2 lead.
In the fifth, Yancey singled and moved to second on a Spencer Dickey sacrifice. Cole Jamieson walked and then Fowler delivered an RBI double. Bradley Kirk entered as a courtesy runner for Jamieson and scored when Parker Roberson grounded out. Tidwell then drove in Fowler with a single to give Cartersville a 6-2 lead.
Warner led off the bottom of the sixth for the Canes with a triple and scored on an RBI single by Yancey for a 7-2 advantage.
Gilmer used five singles in the top of the seventh to score two runs, but Evans (1 IP, 2ER, 5H, 0BB, 1K) — who entered to pitch the final inning — struck out Suition with the bases loaded to end the late threat.
Will Barnes (4.1 IP, 6ER, 7H, 3BB, 1K) was the starting pitcher for Gilmer and suffered the loss. Austin Daman (1.2 IP, 1ER, 4H, 0BB, 1K) also pitched for the Bobcats (4-13 overall, 1-5 in 7-AAAA). Cartersville (11-8, 7-1) travels to Northwest Whitfield Friday for another region start at 5:55pm.
