2020 Battle for Bartow All-Tournament selections: MOST OUTSTANDING PITCHER Micah Earwood, Cartersville — Complete-game win over Riverside (SC) that included no earned runs on three hits and a walk. Earwood struck out nine. MOST OUTSTANDING HITTER Chandler Tromza, Cartersville — hit for a .667 average during the tournament scoring two runs. His on-base percentage for the event was .778. ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM Dylan Cupp, Cedartown — 4-for-9 with four walks, two RBI, scored five runs, and stole a base. He also pitched 1-1/3 shutout innings with two strikeouts. Brody Fahr, Riverside — hit .444 in the tournament with three RBI. He scored three runs and recorded one save on the mound. Mason Fincher, Pepperell — 3-for-8 including a home run and three RBI. On the mound he tossed six shutout innings with nine strikeouts in a combined no-hitter Hayden Filetti, Rome — worked six innings on the mound allowing only two runs on two hits. He struck out 10. He was also 1-for-3 at the plate in the semifinals with one RBI. Carter Heath, Woodland — 4-for-8 with two walks and two RBI Sam Melton, Cartersville —-2-for-5 with one walk, two doubles, and two RBI Logan Nelson, Cass — 3-for-9 with a triple, run scored, and two RBI Jacob Ray, Adairsville — three hits, scored one run, one RBI. Worked four innings on the mound striking out five. Clay Ross, Cartersville — 3-for-7 with one walk, three RBI, and scored two runs Matt Shook, Cass — 3-for-6 including a triple and two walks, scored two runs, stole a base, and added three RBI Reece Tanner, Cedartown — 2-for-4, one RBI, one run. He also worked a total of nine innings on the mound allowing no runs on two hits. He fanned three. Ben Williams, Cartersville — 3-for-8 with a walk and scored a run FINAL SCORES: Thursday, February 27 Rome 9, Adairsville 3 Cedartown 7, Woodland 0 Cedartown 7, Rome 6 Woodland 11, Adairsville 3 Friday, February 28 Cartersville 2, Riverside (SC) 1 Cass 8, Pepperell 3 Cartersville 12, Cass 2 Riverside (SC) 15, Pepperell 5 Saturday, February 29 7th place — Pepperell 7, Adairsville 0 5th place — Riverside (SC) 2, Woodland 0 3rd place — Cass 9, Rome 1 Championship — Cartersville 1, Cedartown 0

The Georgia Highlands Chargers completed the weekend sweep of visiting Sinclair CC (Ohio) Sunday afternoon with an 8-4 win over the Tartan Pride at LakePoint in Emerson. The Chargers posted single runs in each of the first four innings to take an early lead before Sinclair narrowed the margin to 4-3 in the top of the seventh. Georgia Highlands responded in the bottom of the seventh, however, scoring four times to regain control and held on for a four-run victory. Sunday’s win marked the sixth-straight for the Chargers. They have now won nine of their last ten games. Starting pitcher Jacob Ryan (6 IP, 0R, 5H, 1BB, 4K) went six shutout innings to pick up the win on the mound. Stevie Szucs (0.1 IP, 3ER, 2H, 1K), Levi Ayers (0.2 IP, 1ER, 2H), Ryan Smithson (1 IP, 0R, 1H, 1BB, 1K), and Jett Kern (1 IP, 0R, 1H, 2K) all pitched in relief for Georgia Highlands. Joe Sutton had three hits and two RBI Sunday. Gavin Harmon added a pair of hits including a seventh inning inside-the-park home run with two walks and two RBI. Palmer Sapp (2 RBI) and Omar Daniels had the other Chargers’ hits. Georgia Highlands (19-4) will host Grand Rapids CC in a doubleheader Thursday afternoon at LakePoint. First pitch for the Chargers and Raiders will be at 1 p.m.

A pair of Pepperell pitchers — Mason Fincher and Hunter Henderson — combined Saturday morning to toss a no-hitter at Adairsville as the Dragons won the seventh place game of the 2020 Battle for Bartow Baseball Classic at LakePoint in Emerson. Fincher struck out nine and only walked one in the first six frames. Henderson fanned two and faced only three batters in a spotless seventh inning. Pepperell scored the game’s first two runs in the bottom of the third inning and tacked on five more in the fourth. The Dragons finished with five hits and also took advantage of eight walks. Tigers’ starter Jacob Ray (3 IP, 5ER, 3H, 5BB, 3K) suffered the pitching loss for Adairsville. Eli Agnew (1 IP, 2ER, 1H, 1BB), Braden Powell (1 IP, 0R, 1H), and Elijah Padgett (1 IP, 0R, 2BB, 1K) all worked from the mound in relief. Ray was selected to the Battle for Bartow All-Tournament Team. He had three hits, scored a run, and drove in one at the plate across the three-game tournament. He also worked a total of four innings on the mound recording five strikeouts. Pepperell, who went 1-2 in the Dragons' three games in the tournament, improved to 6-3 on the year with their win. Adairsville (2-5) finished 0-3 in the tournament and will now look to bounce back when the Tigers host LaFayette in a non-region contest Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. They also travel to Armuchee Friday for a 4 p.m. first pitch.

The Woodland Wildcats dropped a hard-fought, low-scoring battle to Riverside High School of Greer, South Carolina Saturday afternoon in the fifth place game of the 2020 Battle for Bartow Baseball Classic at LakePoint in Emerson. Riverside, who escaped with a 2-0 win over Woodland and finished 2-1 in the tournament, scored the only two runs of the game in the bottom of the third inning on a pair of doubles and a pair of singles. Otherwise, Woodland starter Peyton Posey limited the Warriors to only two other base hits in his six innings of work. Posey walked one and struck out three. Both Riverside runs were earned. Woodland had a pair of chances late with baserunners in scoring position against the tough Warriors' pitching, but came up short of plating any runs. Andrew Davis earned the pitching win for Riverside. The starter went four and two-thirds innings and fanned four. The Warriors utilized three other pitchers down the stretch with Brody Fahr closing out the seventh inning to earn a save. Carter Heath had two hits for Woodland. Posey and Chase Carson had the other Wildcats’ base hits in the loss. Heath was also the Wildcats' representative on the Battle for Bartow All-Tournament Team. He completed the three-game tournament going 4-for-8 at the plate with a pair of walks and two RBI. Woodland (4-4) returns to action and opens Region 7-AAAAA play Wednesday at Paulding County. The Wildcats will host the Patriots in the home-and-home series Friday and play at Kennesaw Mountain in a non-region game Saturday. Both games with Paulding County are 5:55 p.m. starts. Saturday’s game with the Mustangs is a 1 p.m. first pitch.

The Cass Colonels wrapped up their participation in the 2020 Battle for Bartow Baseball Classic Saturday at LakePoint with a 9-1 win over Rome in the tournament’s third place game. Cass broke open a scoreless game in the fourth inning with six runs and added on in the fifth and sixth frames. Rome scored its run in the bottom of the fourth. Chase Botts (5 IP, 1ER, 3H, 1BB, 2K) earned the pitching victory for the Colonels with five solid innings in his start on the mound. Blaine Ingram (2 IP, 0R, 1H, 1BB, 1K) closed out the final two innings to secure the win. Connor Mason (0.1 IP, 6R, 3ER, 2H, 3BB, 1K) was tagged with the pitching loss for Rome in relief of starter Carson Atkins (3 IP, 0R, 1H, 3BB, 3K). Drew Cromer (3.2 IP, 3R, 1ER, 4H, 0BB, 2K) entered in the fourth inning and closed out the game for the Wolves. Six different Colonels had one hit each. Thomas Bott doubled and drove in a run. Logan Nelson tripled with one RBI. Matt Shook (RBI), Carson Hill (2 RBI), Mark Perdue (RBI, sac fly), and Nic Wallin added one hit each. Both Nelson and Shook were named to the Battle for Bartow All-Tournament Team. Nelson was 3-for-9 in the three-game event including a triple, a run scored, and two RBI. Shook was 3-for-6 including a triple and two walks. He also scored two runs, drove in three, and stole a base. The hit by Wallin was a story of its own. It was his first at-bat since returning to the game after more than a year-long battle with leukemia. Wallin’s hard-hit liner into centerfield to lead off the sixth inning received a standing ovation from the Cass fans in attendance and the entire Cass dugout emptied to celebrate with Wallin when he was removed for a runner with the high school re-entry rule. Rome had one hit each by Jack Orr (triple), Andrew Harrell (double), Jonathan Vioga, Brayer Cowan, and Connor Mason. Rome went 1-2 in the tournament and is now 5-6 on the season. Cass won two of three in the tournament and improved to 5-2 on the season. The Colonels begin Region 7-AAAAA play Wednesday at Villa Rica and will complete the two-game series at home Friday against the Wildcats. Both games are scheduled for 5:55 p.m. starts.

It was an unexpected way for the championship game to end, but the Hurricanes will take it in a 1-0 win over Region 5-AAAA rival Cedartown to capture the 2020 Battle for Bartow Baseball Classic title. After strong pitching by both teams sent the game to the final half inning tied 0-0, Cartersville took advantage of four consecutive walks — including a walk-off walk to Hank Smith with the bases loaded — to win the tournament at LakePoint for the second straight year. Cedartown starting pitcher Reece Tanner tossed six shutout innings before leaving after 96 pitches. Tanner scattered four walks and two hits while striking out one. Cartersville starter Mason McBee was just as effective on the mound but left after six innings with a no-decision. McBee gave up only one hit with no walks and struck out six. Silas Freeman picked up the pitching win for Cartersville by working a scoreless seventh inning. He needed only twelve pitches to retire the side and struck out one. Matthew Henslee entered in the bottom of the seventh for Cedartown and was ultimately tagged with the pitching loss. Henslee walked both batters he faced and was removed for Dylan Cupp. Cupp, who had been the Bulldogs’ shortstop until called in to pitch, then walked the two batters he faced with the second walk pushing across the game-deciding run. There were only three hits in the contest. Zane Barrow had a double for the only Cedartown base hit. Ben Williams and Clay Ross had the only Cartersville hits. Cedartown finished as tournament runner-up for the second straight year. The Bulldogs had tournament wins over Woodland and Rome to go 2-1 in the event. The title game loss drops their season mark to 4-5. Cartersville has now won four straight including all three games in the tournament. The Canes defeated Riverside (Greer, SC) 2-1 and Cass 12-2 to reach the championship game. Chandler Tromza was selected the tournament's Most Outstanding Hitter. The Canes' first baseman batted .667 with a double and two runs scored. His on-base percentage for the tournament was .778. Micah Earwood was named Most Outstanding Pitcher with a complete-game win that included no earned runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out nine. Also named to the All-Tournament Team for Cartersville were Ben Williams, Clay Ross, and Sam Melton. The Hurricanes (5-3) will now prepare for the Perfect Game High School Showdown Thursday through Saturday in Hoover, Alabama where they will play four games, weather permitting. Cartersville is assigned to Pool White C and will play Helena (Alabama) and Houston County (Georgia) Thursday night and Friday afternoon before starting bracket play Friday night.

Georgia Highlands baseball swept a doubleheader Saturday afternoon defeating Sinclair CC of Ohio 7-2 and 3-1 in games at LakePoint in Emerson. In the opener, the Chargers grabbed a 6-0 lead through the fourth inning and held off the Tartan Pride down the stretch. In the second game, Georgia Highlands led 2-0 through six innings before Sinclair narrowed the margin to 2-1 in the top of the seventh. An insurance run for the Chargers in the bottom of the seventh proved to be more than enough as GHC pitchers closed out the win with scoreless eighth and ninth innings. Ethan Underwood (6 IP, 1R, 0ER, 4H, 1BB, 10K) was the Chargers’ winning pitcher in the opening game. He fanned 10 and did not allow an earned run in six innings of work. Mason List (1.2 IP, 1ER, 3H, 2BB, 2K) and Levi Ayers (1.1 IP, 0R, 1BB, 2K) also pitched. Johnny Dow (8.1 IP, 1R, 0ER, 7H, 0BB, 14K) was the Game 2 winner for GHC striking out 14 while working into the ninth inning. Jett Kern (0.2 IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 2K) earned a save by striking out two in the ninth. Trace Twardoski blasted a two-run homer in the first game and Joe Sutton had two hits including a home run and two RBI. Max Kops finished the opener with a hit, a sacrifice fly, and two RBI. Palmer Sapp and Gavin Harmon both doubled. Omar Daniels — who stole three bases — had the other Game 1 hit for the Chargers. In Game 2, Sutton and Lavoisier Fisher both hit solo home runs. Harmon had two hits including a double. Bam Thomas drove in a run with a base hit and Twardoski added one hit. Mickey Maguire, Harmon, Twardoski, and Fisher each stole a base in the 3-1 victory. Georgia Highlands (18-4) wraps up the three-game series with Sinclair Sunday in a 12 noon start at LakePoint.

The Adairsville girls’ soccer team opened their 2020 Region 6-AAA slate Friday night by routing visiting Haralson County, 10-0. The game was halted with 23 minutes remaining in the second half due to the Georgia High School Association’s soccer mercy rule. “We completely controlled the middle of the field,” said Lady Tigers’ head coach Major David Sexauer. “Our defense changed formation to allow one or two players to move into a holding mid-position. That gave us more offensive players on the drive to the goal. The Lady Tigers, who led 7-0 by halftime, were able to play the entire bench in the second half. Cat Wheeler, Giorgia Conduff, and Millie Conduff scored two goals each. Wheeler added an assist. Kaylee Jordan, Taylor Rhoades, Lillie McBride, Gracie Baker, and Taylor Phillips also scored goals for the Lady Tigers. Megan Hardin finished with a pair of assists. Sadye Johnson and Jordan also added assists on goals. Adairsville (5-0, 1-0) returns to their home pitch Tuesday as they host the Phoenix of Sonoraville.

Cartersville baseball used a big third inning Friday night and a complete-game one-hitter by Hayden Davidson to defeat Cass 12-2 in five innings in the semifinals of the 2020 Battle for Bartow Baseball Classic at LakePoint in Emerson. Cass took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and led 2-1 through two frames, but an eight-run third inning by the Hurricanes and three more runs across the next two innings lifted Cartersville to a second-straight championship game in the tournament. Cartersville, the defending champions, will meet Cedartown Saturday night at 6 p.m. for the 2020 title. The two Region 5-AAAA rivals also played for the tournament championship last year. Davidson (5 IP, 2R, 0ER, 1H, 1BB, 9K) earned the complete-game win on the mound for the Canes without allowing an earned run. He struck out nine. Jayden Smith (2.2 IP, 8ER, 5H, 4BB, 1K) was tagged with the pitching loss for Cass. Trey Scott (0 IP, 1ER, 1H, 2BB) and Carson Hill (2.1 IP, 3R, 1ER, 1H, 2BB, 5K) also pitched for the Colonels. Sam Melton had a pair of doubles and two RBI for Cartersville. Parker McPherson also had a two hit game and drove in a run. Byers Murray hit a solo home run. Chandler Tromza and Clay Ross (2 RBI) had the other Canes’ hits. Cartersville (4-3) also took advantage of eight walks and two hit batsmen by Cass pitching. Matt Shook had the only Cass base hit -- a first-inning triple. Blaine Ingram drove in a run for the Colonels. Cass (4-2) will square off with Region 7-AAAAA rival Rome in the third place game Saturday at 3 p.m. The remainder of Saturday’s schedule — with all games on Field #9 at LakePoint — includes Adairsville against Pepperell at 9 a.m. for seventh place and Riverside (SC) against Woodland for fifth place at 12 noon. CARTERSVILLE 2, RIVERSIDE (SC) 1 Cartersville advanced to the semifinal round with a 2-1 win over the Riverside Warriors of Greer, South Carolina. Canes’ pitcher Micah Earwood tossed a complete-game, three-hitter to collect the win on the mound. He walked one and struck out nine in the victory. Riverside, who started Clemson-commit Caden Grice on the mound, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning by benefiting from a double and an infield miscue. Will Potter doubled in the inning with two outs. The Hurricanes answered in the bottom of the fourth with their two runs. Chandler Tromza doubled and Ben Williams singled to put runners on the corners. Jack Carter coaxed a one-out walk to load the bases and forced Riverside to make a pitching change — removing Grice for Parker Kruglewicz. Clay Ross delivered a one-out, RBI single off the reliever to tie the score 1-1 and the Canes took the lead for good when Elliott Eastin reached on a Warriors’ infield error. Cartersville then stranded the bases loaded, but held a 2-1 advantage that would prove to be enough. Earwood retired nine of the next ten Riverside batters faced in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to close out the win. The only Warriors’ baserunner over the final three frames was a two-out single in the final frame off the bat of Sean Friedholm who had two of the Warriors three hits in the game. CASS 8, PEPPERELL 3 The Cass Colonels posted seven runs in the first three innings Friday night and held on to beat Pepperell 8-3 in both teams’ opening game of the 2020 Battle for Bartow Baseball Classic at LakePoint in Emerson. Colonels’ starting pitcher Jordan Gani (6 IP, 3ER, 5H, 3BB, 5K) went the first six innings to earn the win on the mound. Trey Scott (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 1K) entered in the seventh to close out the game. Cass led 6-0 through two innings before the Dragons scored a run in the top of the third. The Colonels got that run back in the bottom of the third to make the score 7-1, but Pepperell narrowed the margin to 7-3 in the sixth. The Colonels picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth for the 8-3 final score. Logan Nelson (double, RBI), Blaine Ingram (double, triple), and Thomas Botts (2 RBI) each had two hits for Cass. Matt Shook tripled and drove in a run. Gani contributed a hit, a sac fly, and two RBI while Mark Perdue added an additional Colonels’ base hit.

The Cartersville girls soccer team defeated visiting Heritage-Catoosa Friday night in non-region action 3-0 while the boys team also picked up a non-region victory at Walker, 4-1. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 3, HERITAGE-CATOOSA 0 The Lady Canes defense kept them in the game in a scoreless first half and the offense found its way in the second half for a 3-0 win. Micah Vance scored Cartersville’s first goal in the 50th minute off a free kick assist by Devondria Johnson. A Kendyl Anderson corner kick in the 51st minute ultimately resulted in an own goal to make the score 2-0, and Abbey Craig found the net in the game’s 61st minute off an assist from Vance for a 3-0 final score. “We came out flat, but some great play by the defensive line of Janet Zazueta, Emma Baker, Devondria Johnson, Trista Kelly, and goalkeeper Britany Lewis kept us in the game in the first half,” said Cartersville coach Chad Murray. “The girls turned it around in the second half,” Murray continued. “We out-worked and out-hustled them in the second half and kept them from taking a shot. We played like a totally different team in the second half.” CARTERSVILLE BOYS 4, WALKER 1 The Cartersville boys found themselves trailing early in the first half at Walker Friday night, but found a way to slow down the Wolverines speedy forwards and take control of possession in the second half for a 4-1 non-region win. Walker led at halftime 1-0, before the Hurricanes began creating more frequent chances. Joan Vargas scored the tying goal early in the second half off an assist from Joel Zazueta. Two minutes later, Cartersville took the lead for good when Brady Craig scored on a header off a nice corner by Alex Rios. With 20 minutes remaining, the Hurricanes went down a man due to a red card but the offense still found a way to score. Pedro Ghanem made a nice feed to Craig in the 63rd minute and he scored his second goal underneath a sliding goalkeeper. Then Joan Vargas finished off the scoring with a goal from a blocked penalty kick that he hit into the opposite corner over the keeper. The Hurricanes continued their pressure over the final fifteen minutes and limited opportunities for Walker to burn the remaining time off the clock. The Lady Canes (4-0) and Hurricanes (4-2) return to the pitch Tuesday night at home against Northwest Whitfield. The doubleheader kicks off at 5:30 p.m.

Elite Stone Supply, in conjunction with WBHF and Bartow Sports Zone, presents the ELITE ATHLETES OF THE MONTH. Each month, local high schools are provided opportunity to name an Elite Athlete of the Month from their varsity programs and present the information on their honoree through Bartow Sports Zone and on 100.3FM and AM1450, WBHF in Cartersville. Recipients for February 2020: Angel Banda -- Adairsville High School Yecenia Hernandez -- Cass High School Jaxon Smith -- Woodland High School Micah Tart -- Cartersville High School The February Elite Athlete of the Month representing Adairsville High School is Angel Banda. A senior member of the Tigers’ wrestling and soccer teams, Banda was also a member of Adairsville High’s national championship JROTC Raiders team. As a captain on the wrestling team, Banda won the GHSA state championship in the 113-pound weight class of Class AAA. His state title came on the heels of placing third in the state during his sophomore and junior seasons. “Angel is a standout student,” said Tigers’ wrestling coach Ryan Torrence. “He won the state tournament handily this year. He pinned every opponent on his way to the title. He didn’t start wrestling until he got to high school and worked his way to becoming a captain the last two seasons. Whichever college program lands Angel will benefit from his talent and leadership.” “Angel has been a true Tiger for his entire high school career,” added Adairsville athletic director Meredith Barnhill. “He works hard at every task ahead, is kind to others, and is quick to lend a hand when needed. He will be missed at AHS.” “Angel inspires and motivates those around him,” continued Adairsville JROTC First Sargent Jerry Queen. “He is well respected, honest, hardworking, dedicated, and his integrity is beyond reproach. His focus and passion to his personal and team goals is unmatched." Banda carries a 3.8 GPA enrolled in Honors classes. He plans to major in sports management or business in college. “Angel is one of the most positive, respectful and hard-working students anyone would want to have in their classroom. His smile and personality light up a room. He truly is an advocate for his fellow students as he not only completes his work, but he looks out for his fellow classmates. This young man has and will continue to do big things.” concluded Adairsville High Healthcare Instructor, Rhonda Hendrix. He is the son of Aswell Banda. Yecenia Hernandez is the February 2020 Elite Athlete of the Month for Cass High School. A junior captain and goalkeeper for the Lady Colonels’ soccer team, Hernandez trains non-stop and has one of the strongest work ethics of any other player. The daughter of Maria Fernandez and Ricardo Hernandez, Yecenia has 28 saves in the early season and has not allowed any scores off corner kicks. Hernandez maintains a 4.0 GPA and is taking all Honors and Advanced Placement courses. She is a member of the Interact Club, National Spanish Honors Society, HOPE, and Beta Club. Following high school, she hopes to play soccer at the college level and plans to pursue a degree in computer engineering. ​​ The Woodland High School Elite Athlete of the Month for February 2020 is Jaxon Smith. Smith, a junior on the Wildcats’ state championship wrestling team, earned his second consecutive Class 5A individual state championship recently at the 2020 State Traditional Championships. He added team bonus points in each of his state tournament matches this season and was a major contributor as the Wildcats won their fourth consecutive state team title (Team Duals and Traditional, 2019 and 2020). The son of Jeremy and Tonya Smith, Jaxon maintains a 3.82 GPA in the classroom. He has committed to continue his education and wrestling career at the University of Maryland where he plans to major in engineering. Micah Tart is the February 2020 Elite Athlete of the Month representing Cartersville High School. A senior captain on the Hurricanes basketball team, Tart led the team in assists and averaged better than 10 points per game. “Micah was a major contributor for us this season,” said Canes’ coach Mike Tobin. “He improved greatly throughout his high school career.” Tart is the son of Branden Stanberry. Editors Note: Photos and bios are supplied to Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF by the respective schools and their athletic departments. Elite Stone Supply Co., LLC is the monthly sponsor. Athletes receive a plaque along with recognition during a radio feature on WBHF. #EliteAthletesoftheMonth #Cass #Cartersville #Woodland #Adairsville #highschool

The Bartow County 8U girls basketball team lost 32-15 to Whitfield County in the finals of the GRPA District 5 tournament Thursday night. Whitfield led throughout with a 6-5 lead after one quarter, 18-9 at halftime, and 28-11 by the end of the third quarter. Isabelle Tummins led Bartow with eight points. Shyia Woods scored four. Carder Brock chipped in two points and Addi Lu Black added one. Whitfield County advances as the District 5 champion to the GRPA State Tournament March 5-6 in Spalding County. BARTOW 12U FINISHES AS GRPA DISTRICT 5 RUNNER-UP In Thursday night action in Rome, the Bartow County 12U girls team lost in the District 5 championship to Whitfield County, 56-18. Youth and adult recreation basketball results presented by Trophy Showroom. All information is provided by the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department, the Bartow County Parks and Recreation Department, and the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association.