Joliff, Wolves complete quarterfinal sweep of Canes

Georgia Tech signee, Griffin Joliff, tossed a complete game, seven-hitter, and smacked a pair of home runs for four RBI to lead Buford to a 10-3 win Tuesday night enabling the Wolves to complete a Class 4A quarterfinal series sweep of Cartersville.

Buford, the defending state champions, won the series opener earlier in the evening 6-5. (see game story link below) The series win also marks the second straight year the Wolves have eliminated the Canes in the state playoffs after Cartersville took a series from Buford two years prior.

In Tuesday night's series clincher, Joliff was in control. He struck out eight and walked two in earning the pitching victory. Cartersville trailed 4-0 early, but narrowed the deficit with three runs in the second and third innings.

Jacob Fowler drove in a run with a ground ball single that plated Parker Tidwell in the second inning. Zach Yancey also scored in the second on a wild pitch after reaching on a walk. Tidwell had singled to open the frame.

Devin Warner hit his second post-season home run in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 4-3, but the Wolves responded by putting the game away in their next frame.

Buford scored five runs in the top of the fourth on a walk, an error, two singles, a double, and a triple. The big blow was the bases loaded triple by Austin Wilhite.

Anthony Seigler (5.2 IP, 10R, 8ER, 11H, 1BB, 5K) suffered the pitching loss for Cartersville. Mason Barnett (1.1 IP, 0R, 1BB, 2K) also took the rubber for the Canes. Brandon Marsh, twins Austin and Nick Wilhite, Dillon Lancaster, and Joliff combined for nine hits and nine RBI for the Wolves.