Canes secure region title with blowout win at Central

The Cartersville baseball team closed out the 2018 regular season Thursday night at Central-Carroll with a 13-2, five-inning victory that clinched the Region 5-AAAA championship and a No. 1-seed in next week’s Class AAAA state playoffs.

Cartersville captured their 25th region baseball championship will host a best-of-three opening round series with Pickens — the No. 4 seed from Region 6-AAAA. The Dragons (13-14, 8-9) are led by former Cass head coach Adam Williams. Pickens concludes the regular season Friday at home against Southeast Whitfield.

The Canes bats went to work early Thursday and took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Cartersville extended that lead to 7-2 through three innings and scored six more times over the next two frames to close out the game.

Canes pitchers Kolby Adams (3 IP, 2ER, 4H, 0BB, 2K) and Gage Morris (2 IP, 0R, 1H, 1BB, 1K) limited the Lions to only five hits.

Jake Gooch doubled home two runs in the first inning for the Hurricanes and later hit a home run in the fifth. His 3-for-3 night that included a walk and three RBI. Anthony Seigler and Preston Welchel also had home runs for Cartersville and both added doubles. Seigler was 3-for-3. Welchel accounted for three RBI.

Mason Barnett doubled twice with one RBI and Devin Warner also doubled.

The 2nd-ranked Canes move into the state playoffs with a 23-7 record and would also host a second round series if they can advance. Although occasional adjustments occur in the playoff schedule, the GHSA website calls for the first round series to begin with a doubleheader next Thursday, April 26 at Richard Bell Field (time TBA).

If a third game is needed, it would be on Friday, April 27.