Cartersville softball wins opener

Four Lady Canes had two hits apiece and Colbi Ballard tossed a complete-game as Cartersville held off visiting Cedartown 5-4 Thursday.

Ballard, along with Lauren McElhaney, Cio Seigler, and Hope Short paced the Cartersville offense with two hits each. Short had a double and a triple. One of Ballard’s hits was a triple.

Presley Edwards contributed a pair of RBI with one hit. AnnaKate McElhaney, Rylie Harris, Mattie Johnson, and Brooklyn Pittman added hits in the Lady Canes’ 13-hit attack.

Cartersville took a 1-0 lead in the first inning before Cedartown tied the game in the top of the third inning.

The Lady Canes added single runs in the third and fourth frames to take a 3-1 lead, but the visiting Bulldogs knotted the score in the top of the fifth.

Cartersville took a 5-3 advantage in the bottom of the fifth with Cedartown’s final run coming in the top of the sixth.

Ballard scattered seven hits in earning the pitching victory for the Lady Canes. She allowed four earned runs and issued seven walks with five strikeouts.

McBrumby (2 doubles) and Nikolopoulus led Cedartown (0-3) with two hits each.

Cartersville (1-0) hosts Darlington at 11 a.m. Saturday.