Canes win Toyo Tires Battle for Bartow

Cartersville baseball was a perfect 3-0 this weekend and defeated Cedartown 9-4 in the championship game as the Purple Hurricanes won the inaugural Toyo Tires Battle for Bartow Baseball Classic at LakePoint.

In the finals, the Canes raced to an early 7-0 lead through four innings and held off the Bulldogs to win the championship. Cartersville displayed plenty of power at the plate with Brant Smith and Preston Welchel both hitting home runs. Mason Barnett and J.P. Martin had triples while Cohen Wilbanks and Jackson Norris added doubles for a total of six extra base hits. Davis and Wilbanks had two-hit games. Logan Martin (4.1 IP, 4R, 1ER, 3H, 1BB, 8K) picked up the pitching win for the Hurricanes. Martin (1.2 IP, 0R, 1H, 1BB, 3K) and Ian Inaba (1 IP, 0R, 1H, 0BB, 2K) worked in relief to secure the victory. Cedartown (5-2) finished 2-1 in the tournament and runner-up. Cartersville (7-1) now prepares for the Perfect Game High School Showdown next week where the Canes will play four games. Thursday’s opponent is Bob Jones (AL) at 8:30 p.m. in Hoover, Alabama. The Hurricanes will then play Sumrall (MS) Friday at 3:30 p.m. and a yet-to-be-determined opponent Friday night at 8:30 p.m. Cartersville will also have a single game on Saturday. Final tournament records for this weekend: Cartersville (3-0); Cedartown (2-1); Kennesaw Mountain (2-1); Bremen (2-1); Pepperell (1-2); Woodland (1-2); Cass (1-2); Adairsville (0-3). NOTE: The tournament staff is still awaiting all-tournament selections from coaches and will be announcing the All-Tournament Team information soon.

CARTERSVILLE 9, PEPPERELL 3

In Saturday afternoon’s championship semifinal matchup with Pepperell, the Purple Hurricanes led 4-0 early before the Dragons narrowed the lead to 6-3 after four innings.

Cartersville then added three runs over the final two innings for their six-run win to advance to the championship game. The Canes belted out 13 hits in the contest with Brant Smith and Jordan Wilkie collecting three each. All three of Smith’s hits were doubles. He added a sacrifice fly and finished with two RBIs. Wilkie also had one RBI. Josh Davis and Ian Inaba had two hits for Cartersville. One of Inaba’s hits was a triple. Cohen Wilbanks, Kolby Adams, and Preston Welchel (RBI) had the other Canes’ hits. J.P. Martin drove in a run with a sac fly.

Wilbanks (4 IP, 3ER, 8H, 0BB, 4K) picked up the pitching win. Gage Morris (2 IP, 0R, 0BB, 2K) and Reece Thompson (1 IP, 0R, 0BB, 2K) worked in relief.

CASS 11. ADAIRSVILLE 1

Cass utilized an eight-run first inning to build an early lead in their 11-1 win Saturday afternoon over Adairsville in the game for seventh place at the Toyo Tires Battle for Bartow Baseball Classic at LakePoint.

Adairsville scored a run in the top of the second to cut the lead to 8-1, but the Colonels added a run in the third and two more in the bottom of the fifth for a 10-run win in five innings.

Logan Nelson (5 IP, 1ER, 3H, 0BB, 7K) tossed all five innings for Cass to earn his second straight win on the mound. Sam Melton had three hits including a double and two RBIs to pace the Cass offense. Thomas Botts finished with a double, a sacrifice fly, and four RBIs. Clay Means, Ajami Harmon, and Matt Shook added one hit and one RBI apiece. Hunter Lee had one hit and Karson Kelley added one RBI for the Colonels.

Noah Nation was tagged with the pitching loss for Adairsville after not getting through the opening frame. Four other Tigers — Levi Ayers, Peyton Deberry, Noah Simpson, and Logan Hunt also pitched for Adairsville.

Kyler Smith had one hit and one RBI for the Tigers. Elijah Padgett and Trace Still added the other Adairsville hits.

Adairsville (0-5) hosts a doubleheader with Lakeside-Atlanta next Saturday.

Cass (4-4) opens Region 7-AAAAA action Monday at Villa Rica.

KENNESAW MOUNTAIN 9, CASS 2

In a consolation semifinal Saturday morning at LakePoint, the Colonels fell to the Mustangs 9-2. Kennesaw Mountain took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and made it 9-0 with a six-spot in the bottom of the third.

Cass managed single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, but was out-hit 11-3 in the contest.

Jayden Smith (2.2 IP, 6R, 4ER, 6H, 1BB, 3K) suffered the pitching loss as the Colonels’ starter on the mound. Trey Scott (0.0 IP, 3ER, 1H, 3BB) and Clay Means (3.1 IP, 0R, 4H, 1K) also pitched for Cass. Blaine Ingram had two hits for the Colonels including a double. Thomas Botts added a hit and Hunter Lee drove in one run.

WOODLAND 8, ADAIRSVILLE 6

In a consolation semifinal Saturday morning, the Wildcats topped the Tigers 8-6.

Woodland led 2-0 after one inning and 6-2 through four frames, but Adairsville tied the game 6-6 in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, the Wildcats scored a pair of deciding runs and kept the Tigers off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Adairsville out-hit Woodland eight to seven, but Woodland converted the runs when needed.

Bailey Ward (4 IP, 5R, 4ER, 5H, 4BB, 3K) and Scotty Smith (3 IP, 1ER, 3H, 2K) split the pitching duties for the Wildcats with Smith credited with the pitching win.

Jacob Ray (2 IP, 2ER, 3H, 4BB, 2K) was tagged with the pitching loss for Adairsville in relief of starter Elijah Padget (2.1 IP, 6R, 5ER, 4H, 4BB, 2K). Kyler Smith (1.2 IP, 1K) took the mound in the fifth inning to finish up the contest. Landon Ayers had three hits and one RBI for the Tigers. Trace Still had two hits including a double and one RBI. Padgett drove in two runs and had one hit. Levi Blackwell had a double and one RBI and Smith added a hit for Adairsville.

Zach Wilson had two hits including a double and two RBIs for Woodland. Koby Stansell (double, 2 RBI), Bailey Ward (RBI), and Peyton Posey (RBI) had the other Wildcats’ hits.ba

KENNESAW MOUNTAIN 14, WOODLAND 4

After falling to Cartersville 3-0 Friday night in the opening round of the Toyo Tires Battle for Bartow Baseball Classic, Kennesaw Mountain returned Saturday to defeat Cass and Woodland on the Mustangs’ way to capturing the consolation bracket finals. In the win over Woodland, Kennesaw Mountain scored six times in the bottom of the second inning to take a 6-2 lead. Woodland narrowed the margin to 6-4 in the top of the fourth, but the Mustangs responded with eight unanswered runs over their next three frames to close out the ten-run victory in six innings.

Luke Darwiche (4 IP, 4ER, 6H, 1BB, 4K) was the starter and winning pitcher for Kennesaw Mountain.

Ben Ammons (4 IP, 7ER, 9H, 3BB, 2K) suffered the pitching loss for the Wildcats. Four other Woodland pitchers were utilized.

Jarrett Guest, Grant Moody and Gavin Scaggs paced the Mustangs’ offense, combining for seven hits and five RBIs. Zach Wilson had two hits including a triple and two RBIs for the Wildcats. Toby Queen finished with two hits. Peyton Posey added one hit and one RBI. Koby Stansel contributed a hit and Scotty Smith added one RBI.

Kennesaw Mountain finished the tournament 2-1 and improved to 6-2-1 on the season. Woodland (3-3) begins Region 7-AAAAA action Monday with a 5:55 p.m. game at home against Paulding County.