Hurricanes fall in season opener

February 16, 2025

Cartersville Hurricanes baseball dropped its 2025 opener on Saturday to Rabun Gap-Nacoochee at Pickens High School in Jasper, 4-1.

Three Eagles’ pitchers combined to limit the Canes to just three hits and kept Cartersville off the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth when David Vargas coaxed a bases loaded walk to force in a run.

Aiden Kitchings (5 IP, 0R, 2H, 6BB, 7K) made the pitching start for Rabun Gap. Malcolm Lingler (1 IP, 1ER, 1H, 1BB, 2K) and Max Doninger (1 IP, 1K) also pitched for the Eagles.

The Eagles took advantage of a walk and three consecutive singles to score two runs in the fourth inning. A hit batsman, a walk, and an error led to two runs for Rabun Gap in the fifth.

Julez Pratt had two hits for Cartersville. Tristan McKibben had the only other Canes’ hit and reached base two other times on walks.

Cartersville utilized four pitchers in the contest. Starter Avery Shiflett (2 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 5K) fanned five of nine batters faced. Nate Russell (1.1 IP, 2ER, 4H, 1BB, 3K), Logan Shrewsbury (2.2 IP, 2R, 0ER, 0H, 1BB, 3K), and Maddox Frazier (1 IP, 0R, 3H, 1K) also pitched.

The Canes will look to bounce back Tuesday at home against Alexander at 1 p.m.