Baseball roundup: Hurricanes move a step closer to securing region title
The Cartersville High School baseball team moved a step closer to securing the Region 5-AAAA championship Monday night at Richard Bell Field with a 9-1 win over Cedartown. The Canes still have region road games remaining at Cedartown Wednesday and at Chapel Hill Thursday. Third-ranked Cartersville currently leads Troup County by one game in the loss column with the Tigers concluding their region slate Wednesday at LaGrange.
Monday night, the Canes took control early securing a 9-0 lead through the first four innings.
The Bulldogs’ lone, unearned run came in the fifth inning off a pair of walks and an infield miscue. Cade Dingler, who doubled twice, had the only Cedartown hits. J.P. Martin hit a two-run home run in the second inning to get the Canes’ offense rolling. He later drew a bases loaded walk to drive in the Canes’ eighth run of the game in the fourth inning. Preston Welchel had two hits including a double and one RBI. Jordan Wilkie and Ian Inaba also had two hits and one RBI. Cohen Wilbanks and Mason Barnett added the other Hurricanes’ hits. Barnett (4 IP, 1R, 0ER, 1H, 5BB, 9K) started on the mound and picked up his eighth win in nine starts this season. Gage Morris (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 2K) fanned two of the four batters he faced in an inning of middle relief and Hayden Davidson (2 IP, 0R, 1H, 2K) worked two shutout innings to close things out.
Cartersville (22-4, 9-1) completes the region two-game set at Cedartown (14-13, 6-5) Wednesday and makes up a final region game at Chapel Hill Thursday. Both games are scheduled as 5:55 p.m. starts.
EAST PAULDING 12, CASS 4 The visiting Raiders charged to a 10-0 lead in the first three innings and held off Cass for a 12-4 win Monday at the Cass Athletic Complex. Seth Grenon and Brandon Haston combined for seven hits and five RBI for East Paulding. All four of Grenon’s hits were singles and he finished with two RBI. Haston singled, tripled, and homered in his three hits. Eli Studdard also hit a home run for the Raiders.
Cole McDaniel (3 IP, 0R, 2H, 0BB, 3K) and Haston (4 IP, 4R, 0ER, 4H, 2BB, 4K) combined on the mound in East Paulding’s win. Thomas Botts (3 IP, 10R, 8ER, 10H, 2BB, 2K) was saddled with the pitching loss for the Colonels. Jordan Gani (4 IP, 2ER, 6H, 1BB, 1K) completed the final four frames on the mound.
Blaine Ingram had two hits including a double for Cass. Clay Means added a double. Logan Nelson, Matt Shook, and Hunter Lee had the other Colonels’ hits. Jayden Smith drove in a Cass run with a sacrifice fly.
East Paulding improved to 19-7 with their win. The Raiders are 12-2 in Region 7-AAAAA.
Cass (7-18, 3-12) wraps up the 2019 season this week with a final home game Wednesday against 8th-ranked Carrollton at 5:55 p.m. before traveling to Carrollton Friday.
COOSA 9, WOODLAND 6
Woodland baseball exchanged the lead at Coosa Monday evening, but came up short in a 9-6 non-region loss. Woodland narrowed Coosa’s early lead to 4-2 in the third inning and grabbed a 6-4 advantage in the top of the sixth, but the host Eagles scored five times in the bottom of the sixth to take over the game late. Jackson Thomas (0.2 IP, 1ER, 2H, 0BB, 2K) picked up the pitching win for Coosa in relief of starter Caleb Smith (5.1 IP, 5R, 2ER, 5H, 1BB). Seth Crowe (1 IP, 0R, 1H, 1K) earned a one-inning save.
Scotty Smith (1 IP, 5R, 0ER, 4H, 1BB, 2K) suffered the pitching loss for Woodland in relief of starter Peyton Posey (5 IP, 4ER, 7H, 0BB, 6K).
Four Eagles — Dastyn Trapp, Logan Pledger, Gage Clanton, and Elijah Smith — had two hits each. Koby Stansel had a pair of hits and two RBI for the Wildcats. Bailey Ward contributed two hits including a double and one RBI. Carter Heath had a double and two RBI. Smith doubled home a run while Toby Queen and Marco Haro added one hit apiece.
Coosa improved to 4-19-1 overall.
Woodland (10-16) concludes the home schedule Wednesday against 3rd-ranked Kell at 5:55 p.m. and travels to Cobb County to face the Longhorns Friday.
