Lady Canes lock up home field for region playoffs as Todd tosses third no-hitter and third one-hitte
Cartersville pitcher Hannah Todd dominated LaGrange in both games of a region doubleheader Saturday in LaGrange.
The University of North Carolina commit, allowed only one hit in two games and worked all 14 innings for the Lady Canes in the pitching circle as they swept the Lady Grangers, 7-0 and 3-0.
With the two teams battling for home field advantage in next weekend’s region playoffs, Todd tossed her third no-hitter of the season in Game 1.
Lauren McElhaney and Paris Poston (triple) had two hits and two RBIs each to help lead the Cartersville offense. Cio Seigler, Kayla Stephenson, and Todd (double, RBI) also added two hits each for the Lady Canes. Pressley Edwards had the other Cartersville hit and added one RBI.
Cartersville took an early 3-0 lead and built on their advantage along the way.
Todd (photo) needed only 78 pitches (59 for strikes) in her no-hitter. She issued one walk and struck out 12.
In Game 2, Todd needed only 81 pitches and struck out 10 in a 3-0, one-hit shutout. It was her third, one-hitter of the season to go with the three no-hitters. Todd dominated the strike zone again. Sixty-six of her pitches were thrown for strikes. The only Lady Grangers hit came in the bottom of the third inning on a bloop single to right field by LaGrange leadoff hitter, Tia Winston.
Molly Wilson had three hits for the Lady Canes and drove in one run. Macee Cole added two hits.
Hope Short, Poston (RBI), and Edwards had the other Cartersville base hits.
"Our team is playing the best ball we have played all season," said Lady Canes head coach Shannon Dietrich. "We want to keep working hard at practice, finish well Wednesday against Darlington, and get prepared for a rematch with LaGrange in the first round of the region playoffs."
With the series sweep, Cartersville (14-10) sewed up the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Region 5-AAAA playoffs and will host fifth-seeded LaGrange in their best-of-three series. The winner of that series will lock up a berth in the state playoffs.
The series will open with a doubleheader Saturday, October 1 at 2pm. If a third game is needed, it will be played Monday, October 3 at 5:30pm.
Cartersville will host a non-region, regular season finale' Wednesday at 5:30pm against Darlington.
"Making the region tournament with home field advantage has been a goal all season," added Dietrich. "Now that we've accomplished that goal, we seek our next goal of qualifying for the state tournament."
