Canes, Seigler power past Marist into Class AAAA quarterfinals

Cartersville sent thirteen men to the plate Friday night and scored ten runs in the top of the fourth inning to break open a one-run game and then cruised to a 12-2 win over Marist in the rubber game of their three-game second round Class 4A state playoff series.

The Hurricanes won Game 1 on Thursday 11-1 but Marist forced a deciding game with a 4-3 win in Thursday’s nightcap of the opening day doubleheader.

The Canes’ fourth inning barrage was highlighted by a grand slam by catcher Anthony Seigler that made the score 7-1 and a three-run home run by Jake Gooch ran the lead to 10-1.

Seigler, who went 5-for-10 with three walks and 10 RBI in the series, hit his second home run of the game (the switch-hitter hit one from each side of the plate) and his third of the three-game series in the top of the sixth inning for an 11-2 Canes’ lead. LaDarius Winburn added a fourth Canes’ homer of the game in the top of the seventh in a pinch-hitting role.

Cohen Wilbanks (1.2 IP, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 1K), who took the mound in the second inning in relief of starter Levi Ayers, picked up the win as the benefactor of the Hurricanes’ big inning. Ayers allowed one earned run on four hits and a walk. He fanned one.

Gage Morris closed out the pitching duties for Cartersville without allowing a run. He completed the final three and two-thirds innings yielding only one hit. He struck out one.

Jordan Wilkie had two hits including a double and two RBI. Mason Barnett had two hits including a double. Josh Davis added the other Cartersville base hit.

Marist starter Chase Abshier pitched into the fourth inning and suffered the loss. Abshier kept the Hurricanes off-balance through the first three innings and at times looked dominant, but the fourth inning was another story. The War Eagles used two other pitchers - Matt Pezolt and Gus Pharis - to get through the explosive fourth and Dean Colton moved from first base to the mound to close out the final three frames.

Colton finished with three hits including a double after going hitless in the first two games of the series. Abshier doubled and scored twice in Game 3, while Patrick Comerford drove in a pair of runs with one hit for the War Eagles.

Marist, who was the defending state champion in Class 4A, had its season end with a 15-18 record.

Cartersville improves to 27-8 and will host Spalding in the quarterfinals starting with a doubleheader next Wednesday.