Titans sweep doubleheader, take series with Canes

As expected, the three-game Region 7-AAAAA series between 2nd-ranked Cartersville and top-ranked Blessed Trinity generated an intense battle.

In fact, all three games of the series were tied going to the bottom of the sixth inning.

Cartersville won Tuesday night’s opener at Richard Bell Field 3-2 but it was the Titans who took both games of Thursday night’s doubleheader in Roswell, 4-1 and 5-3.

The Canes led 1-0 into the bottom of the fifth inning in Thursday’s opener, but it was Blessed Trinity who scored four times in the late innings to pull out a 4-1 win.

A solo home run by Max Puckett tied the game 1-1 in the fifth and the Titans took advantage of a walk, a pair of singles, and a pair of Canes’ defensive miscues in the sixth to build their three-run lead.

Joseph Chambers was the winning pitcher for Blessed Trinity in relief of starter Jake Lankie. Chambers tossed two innings of shutout ball allowing only one hit while striking out five. Chambers went five innings giving up one earned run on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Davis Williams singled home Colt McKibben. Elliott Eastin, who tried to score behind McKibben, was tagged out at the plate.

Cartersville starting pitcher Phillip Schiltz (5.1 IP, 4R, 3ER, 4H, 4BB, 6K) was tagged with the pitching loss. He worked into the sixth inning allowing three earned runs on four hits and four walks. Schiltz fanned six.

Silas Freeman (0.2 IP, 0R, 0H) retired the final two outs for the Canes with a pop out to first and a ground out to shortstop.

In addition to the base hits by Williams and Eastin, Jake Brasfield and Parker McPherson added one hit apiece in the opener.

In the final game of the series, Blessed Trinity built a 3-0 lead early before the Canes scored twice in the third inning and tied the game with a run in the fifth.

The Titans scored their two go-ahead runs in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out line drive single by Justice Haynes. The Titans had loaded the bases in the inning on a walk and two hit batsmen.

Parker McPherson drove in a pair of runs with a hit in the third inning to narrow the Canes’ deficit to 3-2. Eastin drove in a run to tie the game in the fifth inning.

Cartersville reliever Gunner Millsap (1.1 IP, 1ER, 0H, 1BB, 1K) suffered the pitching loss in relief of starter Mason McBee (4 IP, 3ER, 5H, 1BB, 4K). Silas Freeman (0.2 IP, 1ER, 1H) recorded the final two outs in the sixth.

Puckett had two hits including a double and one RBI to pace the Titans’ offense.

In addition to the RBI hits by McPherson and Eastin, Williams had two hits for Cartersville. McKibben, Tyler Williamson, Brasfield, and Curt Bonner added one hit apiece.

Blessed Trinity improved to 14-7 for the season and 8-2 in region action.

Cartersville (14-7, 9-3) returns to action next Tuesday with a non-region home game against Sandy Creek.