Both the Bartow County Little League and the Cartersville Little League completed their league championship playoffs this past week. The A's edged the Rangers to win the BCLL (majors) while it was the Indians blanking the Colts to win the CLL (majors). Next for both leagues will be the selection of tournament teams and then pre-district and the Georgia District 1 championship tournament. BARTOW COUNTY LITTLE LEAGUE (major) LEAGUE PLAYOFFS First Round Saturday, May 19 METS 7, TIGERS 4 Mets: Jordan Durham one double, one triple; Joseph McGrew one hit, one RBI; Christopher Burns one hit, one RBI. David Kelly (5.2 IP, 4R, 1ER, 3H, 1BB, 14K); Durham (0.2 IP, 0R, 0H, 1K). Tigers: Carson Gray one double, one RBI each; Tre Winters one double. Winters (3 IP, 5R, 4ER, 2H, 4BB, 5K); Gray (2 IP, 2R, 0ER, 2H, 1BB, 5K); Hadyn Hawkins (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 3K) CARDINALS 6, GIANTS 4 Cardinals: Connor Jenkins two hits; Benjamin Bowman one hit, one RBI; Trey W. one hit. Jenkins (2 IP, 3R, 0ER, 1H, 6BB, 4K); Sahaj Patel (4 IP, 1ER, 3H, 1BB, 6K) Giants: Jake Clowers one hit, one RBI; Hayden Reeder, Rylan Brigman, and Dakota Richards one hit each; Hudson Parr one RBI. Carson Waits (3 IP, 3R, 1ER, 2H, 9K); Reeder (3.1 IP, 3R, 1ER, 2H, 2BB, 7K). Quarterfinals Monday, May 21 RANGERS 11, CARDINALS 7 Rangers: Kaiden Pirkle two hits including one double, one RBI; Fischer Arnold one double, one RBI; Malachi Linley one hit, one RBI; Jarrett Scott one double; Harrison Cole one hit. Cardinals: Luke Hollis two hits, two RBI; Reece Alexander one double, two RBI; Connor Jenkins one double; Ethan E one RBI. A’s 11, METS 4 A’s: Landon O’Neal two hits including one double, three RBI; Robert Mitchell one hit; Hayden Blalock and Hayden A two RBI each; Dawson Craig, Andrew Foster, and Thomas Wells one RBI each. Mets: Jordan Durham two hits including one home run, three RBI; David Kelley one RBI. ORIOLES 9, TWINS 5 Orioles: Christopher Romo two hits, two RBI; Talen Nix and David Jinks two hits including one double, one RBI each; Joshua Love one double, one RBI; Cameron Adams and Brayden Davis one hit each. Twins: Jackson Nelson two hits including one double, one RBI; Cadyn Wade and Isaiah Ford one double each; Reece Heaton one hit. CUBS 6, BRAVES 5 Cubs: Eddie Boggs one grand slam, four RBI; Andrew Stiles one triple; Dillon Sanford, DJ Brookshire, and Gareth Kincannon one hit each; Colton Tucker and Mason Mize one RBI each. Braves: Caleb Freeman one double, one RBI; Wesley Collum one hit, one RBI; Joshua McBroom and Israel Contreras one hit apiece; Bryson P. one RBI. Semifinals Tuesday, May 22 A’s 10, CUBS 1 A’s: Dawson Craig two hits including one double, two RBI; Landon O’Neil one hit, one RBI; Hayden Blaylock one hit; Robert Mitchell, Riley Belcher, Jett Johnson one RBI each. Cubs: Mason Mize one double. RANGERS 4, ORIOLES 2 Rangers: Daniel Stevenson two hits including one double; Kaiden Pirkle one double, two RBI; Brady Kerlin one double. Jarrett Scott and Noah Williams one hit each. Orioles: Kamarion Profitt and Brayden Davis one hit, one RBI each; Cameron Adams, Talen Nix, and David Jinks one hit each. Championship Game Thursday, May 24 A’s 2, RANGERS 1 A’s: Dawson Craig and Landon O’Neal one hit, one RBI each; Hayden Blalock one hit. Craig (4 IP, 1ER, 7H, 2BB, 7K); Landon O’Neal (1 IP, 0R, 1H, 2K). Rangers: Kaiden Pirkle two hits, one RBI; Harrison Cole and Fischer Arnold two hits each; Brady Kerlin and Malachi Linley one hit each. Jarrett Scott (1 IP, 1ER, 1H, 1BB, 2K); Pirkle (3 IP, 1ER, 2H, 1BB, 5K). CARTERSVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE (major) League Championship Playoffs Monday, May 22 Elimination Game COLTS 11, DODGERS 6 Colts: Turner Abernathy four hits, one RBI; Grant Knight three hits including two doubles, two RBI; Davis Wilkey three hits including one double, one RBI; Luke Altizer two hits including one double; Trevor Harris two hits; Hunter Shirley one double, three RBI; Brett Good one hit, one RBI. Hunter Shirley (4 IP, 3ER, 4H, 3BB, 8K); Brett Good (1 IP, 2ER, 0H, 3BB, 3K); Davis Wilkey (1 IP, 1R, 0ER, 1H, 1BB). Dodgers: Stephen Rowser two hits including one triple; Justin Peace one triple, one RBI; Ayden Ray and Peyton Bowen one hit, one RBI; Landon Heath and Brelace Williams one RBI each. Justin Peace (2 IP, 3R, 1ER, 5H, 1BB, 3K); Ayden Ray (2.1 IP, 8ER, 10H, 3BB, 4K); Jimmy Channell (0.2 IP, 1H). Winner’s Bracket INDIANS 8, BRAVES 5 Indians: Logan Shrewsberry and Drew Perry three hits including one double each; Maverick Madonna two hits, three RBI; Lucas Henry two hits; Jackson Harwell one hit, one RBI; Gavin Shrewsberry one hit. Gavin Shrewsberry (0.1 IP, 1ER, 2H, 2BB, 1K); Dawson Bishop (5.2 IP, 4ER, 4H, 2BB, 5K). Braves: Miles Owen one home run, three RBI; Brenden Bryant and Thomas Peters one hit, one RBI each; Caleb Daniel, Charlie Crum, and Evan Archer one hit each. Six pitchers combined for nine strikeouts. Semifinal Wednesday, May 23 COLTS 6, BRAVES 4 No game report. Championship Game Thursday May 24 INDIANS 10, COLTS 0 No game report. ​NOTE: Pitching data not provided for all BCLL games. Games not completed or not posted on the respective leagues' GameChanger sites are not included, but will be added to future posts when made available. Bartow County Little League and Cartersville Little League capsules and game results are provided to BartowSportsZone.com by the two leagues and are sponsored on Bartow Sports Zone by Play It Again Sports at 410 Cherokee Place in Cartersville.

Coach Valerie Linley, who played at Cass High School and Florida State University and also served as a women's assistant coach at Florida State and College of Charleston, will conduct a free basketball camp at the Excel Christian Academy Gym Tuesday, May 29 - Friday, June 1. For more information and registration, use the link below or call 678.719.9003. https://go.netcamps.com/events/748-destined-to-succeed-free-basketball-camps

A scrappy Jefferson Dragons baseball team showed why it was dangerous offensively in Game 1 of the Class AAAA State Championship best-of-three series Monday night, but then struggled defensively, committing 11 total errors in the latter innings of that game — a 5-4 win — and in Game 2 that Cartersville won 9-3. Wednesday night at State Mutual Stadium in Rome, the Dragons again showed their early firepower in a winner-take-all Game 3 to take a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. 

This time, however, Jefferson played spotless defense without committing an error and held off a late threat by Cartersville to win 6-3 and collect the school’s first-ever baseball state championship. For Cartersville, the result is a third state runner-up finish in the last 18 years to go with the Hurricanes’ six titles. The Dragons (28-12) posted their five runs in the top of the first inning on four hits, two walks, a hit batsman, and a balk. Justin Cole singled with one out and Jefferson loaded the bases on walks to Lane Watkins and Ryan Godfrey before Billy Finch was hit by a pitch for the game’s first run. A bases-loaded balk plated the second run and moved runners to second and third in front of a two-RBI double by Clayton Jones. Sammy Elegreet tacked on a fifth run with an RBI line drive single into center field and the Dragons were off to a fast start, 5-0. Cartersville picked up a run in the bottom of the third without benefit of a hit. Ian Inaba was hit by a pitch to start the Canes’ third inning. Then Preston Welchel and Josh Davis sandwiched walks around a line out by Anthony Seigler to load the bases. Mason Barnett followed with a sacrifice fly to center field and the Hurricanes had narrowed the gap to 5-1. The Canes loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth with one out to force Jefferson head coach Tommy Knight to bring in his ace and Game 1 winner, lefty Patrick Hickox. The Dragons’ previous pitcher, Will Wood yielded singles to Jordan Wilkie and J.P Martin to open the frame and Inaba coaxed a walk to fill the bases. An RBI groundout by Welchel made the score 5-2, but Hickox got out of the inning with no further Hurricane damage. He intentionally walked Seigler with first base open and then recorded his first strikeout to end the threat. Gooch and Warner had one-out singles for Cartersville in the fifth and sixth innings respectively, but the Purple Hurricanes failed to cut into the Dragons’ lead. Meanwhile, Canes’ pitcher Gage Morris — who followed starter Cohen Wilbanks and reliever Levi Ayers — kept Cartersville in the game and allowed only one baserunner on a walk until the top of the seventh. A Cartersville infield mistake led to a Jefferson insurance run in the top of the seventh. Cole was hit by a pitch. A sacrifice bunt moved him to second base and the Canes set up the infield force play with an intentional walk to Godfrey. Finch hit a grounder that might have been an inning-ending double play, but an errant throw kept the inning going and allowed a run to score. Cartersville made it interesting in their final offensive frame. Seigler hammered a solo shot over the left field wall to make the score 6-3 and open the Hurricanes’ threat in the top of the seventh. Davis followed with a double before Gooch singled and moved Davis over to third. Gooch took second base on the throw to bring the potential tying run to the plate with one out and two baserunners in scoring position. Unfortunately for the Canes, Hickox got Jordan Wilkie to pop up and J.P. Martin to ground out and the Dragons celebrated a 6-3 win and their first-ever baseball state championship. Hickox (3.2 IP, 1ER, 5H, 1BB, 1K) earned both wins in the series after tossing the final two and two-thirds innings Wednesday night. Vinny Farley (2 IP, 1ER, 0H, 2BB, 1K) was the Game 3 starter for the Dragons and Will Wood (1.1 IP, 1ER, 2H, 2BB, 1K) pitched in middle relief. Cohen Wilbanks (0.1 IP, 5ER, 2H, 2BB) started for Cartersville and Levi Ayers (1.2 IP, 0ER, 3H, 1K) followed on the mound. Morris (5 IP, 1R, 0ER, 0H, 3BB, 3K) worked the final five innings allowing only one, unearned run. Gooch had two hits including a double for Cartersville. Seigler homered and was walked twice. Davis contributed a double while Wilkie, Martin, and Devin Warner had the other Hurricanes’ hits. Barnett added a sac fly and Welchel a groundout RBI for the remainder of the Cartersville offense. Cole was 2-for-3 and scored twice to pace the Jefferson offense. Jones blasted a two-run double. Elegreet contributed an RBI single, while freshman catcher Mason Cooper added the Dragons’ only other hit. Finch had the other Jefferson RBI. Cartersville’s season comes to a close with a Region 5-AAAA title, the Class 4A state runner-up designation and a 32-10 record in coach Kyle Tucker’s first season at the helm. The Hurricanes had 2018 playoff series wins over Pickens, Marist, Spalding, and Heritage-Catoosa. Tucker and the Canes’ have an abundance of talent returning next season but will miss graduating seniors John Reed Evans, Jake Gooch, Levi Ayers, Ladarius Winburn, Anthony Seigler, Curtis Wilkes, Devin Warner, Jake Norris, Josh Mayo and Garrett Shelton.

Pope rallied in extra innings of Game 2 of the Class 6A baseball state championship series Tuesday night to force a Game 3 on Wednesday. As a result, Game 3 of the Class 4A state title series between Cartersville and Jefferson will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening at State Mutual Stadium in Rome. The rubber game of the Pope/Allatoona series will follow the Cartersville/Jefferson game at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Due to weather, the Class 4A state championship golf tournament will be limited to Monday's 18-hole results. That means Cartersville's Buck Brumlow will finish runner-up individually and Cartersville will finish 8th. Brumlow was 2-under par after four holes Tuesday before the round was first delayed, then cancelled. Brumlow’s 4-under-par 68 Monday led Cartersville to the eighth place finish. What was scheduled to be a 36-hole championship was conducted at Achasta Golf Club in Dahlonega. The AAAA boys played the course at 6,434 yards to a par-72. Columbus High School raced to a big lead Monday after 18 holes. The Blue Devils had three individuals fire under par rounds and won the state championship with a total of 10-under-par. St. Pius was the only other team under par. The Golden Lions were eight shots back at 2-under-par. Marist (+3), Woodward Academy (+8), and Oconee County (+12) rounded out the top five teams. North Oconee and Richmond Academy tied for sixth at 13-over-par. Cartersville was 20-over-par. Brumlow fired matching nine-hole rounds of 2-under-par 34 to lead the Purple Hurricanes on Day 1. Dalton Henson was next for Cartersville with a 75. Blane Davis shot 81 and Christian Martin 84 to round out the counting scores for the locals. Jake Benefield (87) and Chanc Willis (89) completed the Canes’ lineup but their scores did not count. Teams count the best four rounds each day from their six players. The remainder of the 16-team field and their first round scores include LaFayette (+22), Northside-Columbus (+27), West Laurens (+29), LaGrange (+32), Cedartown (+39), Blessed Trinity (+46), Perry (+48), and Mary Persons (+64). Ben Carr of Columbus had the low individual score Monday. His 5-under-par 67 edged Brumlow of Cartersville and Columbus teammate Jonathan Parker by a single shot.

Kingston native and Rhodes College junior distance runner Spencer Fields landed two USTFCCCA All-South Region honors last Tuesday. Fields earned them for a second-place showing in the 10k and third-place finish in the 5k among NCAA D-III region distance runners. Fields will compete in the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Fields broke the Rhodes College 10k record twice this year. His best time is ranked 14th among fellow qualifiers.

At the professional level, Connor Justus is hitting .350 over the last couple of weeks while Sam Howard has been placed on the disabled list with an injury to his left shoulder. On the collegiate diamonds, teams including local players at non-Division I levels have all concluded their seasons while the D-I programs begin their conference tournaments this week. MiLB SAM HOWARD — Albuquerque Isotopes, Colorado Rockies organization; Triple-A Pacific Coast League (5th-yr. pro; LHP; Georgia Southern University; Cartersville HS)… Howard is currently on the 7-day disable list for the Isotopes following an injury to his left shoulder in a game May 12 at Las Vegas. The injury occurred during a base running incident at home plate in the fourth inning. Howard had reached on a fielder’s choice and eventually reached third base. On a wild pitch, Howard scored but the collision at the plate on the slide forced him out of the game with discomfort and eventually to the DL. Howard is 2-3 this season in seven starts. He has a 5.01 ERA with a 30:17 strikeout-to-walk ration in just over 32 innings. PCL hitters have a .273 batting average against him. Albuquerque is 24-21 and in second place, one game behind the Salt Lake Bees in the PCL’s Pacific Southern Division. The ‘Topes continue a three-game home series with Salt Lake through Thursday before hitting the road for a five-game set at Sacramento. CONNOR JUSTUS — Mobile BayBears, L.A. Angels organization; Double-A Southern League (3rd-yr. pro; MIF; Georgia Tech; Cartersville HS)… The last two weeks have been productive at the plate for Justus. Following a slow start in April that saw his batting average dip as low as .163, he has hit safely in 11 of 19 games with a pair of multiple hit games this month. As a result, his batting average has risen to .202. Since May 9, the middle infielder is 14-for-40 (.350). Mobile (23-21) is currently second in the Southern League’s South Division. The BayBears trail the Biloxi Shuckers by 4.5 games and are 3.5 games up on the third place Mississippi Braves. Mobile starts a five-game home series with Biloxi Wednesday that runs through Sunday. COLLEGE BASEBALL ELLIOTT ANDERSON — Auburn University (So., LHP, Cartersville HS)… Entered to start the eighth inning at Troy last Tuesday with his team trailing and gave up a single and a home run while retiring only one batter on a sacrifice bunt. He was lifted after the home run and Troy won the game 9-5, but the Tigers bounced back to take two of three SEC games at home last Thursday through Saturday against LSU. Anderson has made 22 appearances this season, all in relief. He has a 5-0 record and a 3.81 ERA in just over 28 innings pitched. He has 29 strikeouts and a .231 BAA. 21st-ranked Auburn plays 26th-ranked Kentucky Tuesday afternoon in an SEC Tournament play-in game in Hoover, AL. The winner reaches the double-elimination portion of the conference tournament and the loser is eliminated. The SEC tournament continues through Sunday. HARRISON OSBORN — Point University (Fr., RHP, Cartersville HS)… picked up a pitching win last Wednesday over 15th-ranked Keiser University in the Opening Round tournament of the NAIA National Championships in Lawrenceville at Georgia Gwinnett College. Osborn pitched into the sixth inning and allowed only two earned runs on six walks and five hits. He struck out two in 5 and one-third innings. The Skyhawks finished runner-up to host Georgia Gwinnett and finished the year 37-25. Osborn was 6-2 in 11 starts and 15 appearances in 2018. He struck out 35, walked 17, and completed the year with a 3.45 ERA in 60 innings pitched. MASON ROBINSON — Louisiana Tech (R-Jr., OF, Woodland HS)… went 4-for-16 including a walk, three runs scored, and four RBI in four games this week. The Bulldogs had a 12-1 win a Grambling State Wednesday and then took two-of-three at conference-leading and 13th-ranked Southern Miss over the weekend. Robinson has appeared in 53 games this season with 51 starts in the outfield. He has a .279 batting average that includes six homers, 14 extra base hits, and 34 RBI in 223 plate appearances (197 official at-bats). The Bulldogs (35-18, 18-9 C-USA) are currently tied for second place with Florida Atlantic and trail Southern Miss by 2.5 games with one conference weekend remaining in the regular season. Most projections have only two NCAA tournament bids for Conference USA including the automatic bid for the conference tournament winner. Louisiana Tech hosts a regular season ending three-game conference series with Old Dominion Thursday through Saturday. The C-USA tournament begins May 23 in Biloxi, MS.

Cartersville and Jefferson split the first two games of their 2018 Georgia High School Association Class AAAA State Baseball Championship Series Monday night at State Mutual Stadium in Rome. The two teams will play Game 3 of their best-of-three series Wednesday night at either 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. to decide the state title. The winner-take-all championship game starting time will be 5 p.m. if the Class 6A series between Pope and Allatoona needs a third game Wednesday. The Cartersville/Jefferson game will be at 7 p.m. if either Pope or Allatoona sweep their doubleheader Tuesday. Listen to an archive of Monday's WBHF broadcasts of Game 1 and Game 2 using this link: https://www.meridix.com/channel/?liveid=bartowsportszone#/

Led by freshman Buck Brumlow’s 4-under-par 68, Cartersville is currently in eighth place at the mid point of the 36-hole 2018 GHSA Class AAAA Boys Golf Championship. The 36-hole championship is being conducted at Achasta Golf Club in Dahlonega and will continue on Tuesday, May 22. The AAAA boys are playing the course at 6,434 yards and it is playing to a par-72. Columbus High School raced to a big lead Monday after 18 holes. The Blue Devils had three individuals fire under par rounds and have a team total of 10-under-par. St. Pius is the only other team under par. The Golden Lions are eight shots back at 2-under-par after the opening round. Marist (+3), Woodward Academy (+8), and Oconee County (+12) round out the top five teams heading into Tuesday’s final round. North Oconee and Richmond Academy are tied for sixth at 13-over-par. Cartersville is 20-over-par. Brumlow fired matching nine-hole rounds of 2-under-par 34 to lead the Purple Hurricanes on Day 1. Dalton Henson was next for Cartersville with a 75. Blane Davis shot 81 and Christian Martin 84 to round out the counting scores for the locals. Jake Benefield (87) and Chanc Willis (89) completed the Canes’ lineup but their scores did not count. Teams count the best four rounds each day from their six players. The remainder of the 16-team field and their first round scores include LaFayette (+22), Northside-Columbus (+27), West Laurens (+29), LaGrange (+32), Cedartown (+39), Blessed Trinity (+46), Perry (+48), and Mary Persons (+64). Ben Carr of Columbus had the low individual score Monday. His 5-under-par 67 leads Brumlow of Cartersville and Columbus teammate Jonathan Parker by a single shot. The final round will be played Tuesday in Dahlonega.

It was a roller-coaster ride of emotions Monday night for both Cartersville and Jefferson in the Class AAAA State Championship Series doubleheader opener at State Mutual Stadium in Rome, but when the dust settled the series was knotted at one apiece. Jefferson jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in Game 1 and held off the late-charging Hurricanes 5-4 to put the Canes on the brink of elimination. It was Cartersville, however, that took advantage of opportunities in Game 2. Anthony Seigler (photo above) gave the Canes a much-needed five inning start on the mound and the offense took advantage of multiple miscues for a 9-3 nightcap win that forces a rubber game Wednesday for the 2018 Class AAAA title. Cartersville (32-9) won the coin toss that followed the doubleheader split and will be the home team in Wednesday’s winner-take-all championship game again in Rome. The game time will be either 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. pending the outcome of Tuesday night’s Class 6A doubleheader between Pope and Allatoona. If either of those teams sweep, the Cartersville/Jefferson finale’ will start at 7 p.m. If Pope and Allatoona need a third game, the Cartersville/Jefferson game will start at 5 p.m. In Monday night’s opener, Jefferson (27-12) grabbed a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of Canes’ ace starter Mason Barnett. Zac Corbin led off with a single and scored on a triple by Lane Watkins. Ryan Godfrey and Billy Finch both singled for a 2-0 lead before a double by Clayton Jones and another single by Mason Cooper gave the Dragons a 4-0 start. Jefferson tacked on a fifth run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Godfrey and Dragons’ ace Patrick Hickox (photo) made the five run total stand up. Jefferson's crafty southpaw needed only 83 pitches in his complete game victory. Hickox scattered seven hits and allowed only two earned runs (four total) without issuing a walk. He fanned five. Cartersville made it interesting late with a three-run sixth inning highlighted by Seigler's RBI triple. The Hurricanes added another run in the seventh but couldn't draw any closer. Hickox survived the final frame that included a deep fly out by Seigler and a Barnett line out to shortstop Corbin that ended the game. Barnett (1.1 IP, 4ER, 7H, 3BB, 2K) started on the bump was lifted in the second inning for Levi Ayers (4.2 IP, 1ER, 1H, 2BB, 4K) who closed out Game 1 for the Canes. Godfrey pace Jefferson with three hits and one RBI. Cooper, Jones, Finch, and Watkins all had one hit and one RBI each. Corbin added the other Dragons’ base hit with his leadoff single in the first. In Game 2, it was the Hurricanes that took an early lead and held off the Dragons. Jefferson did contribute to their own demise, however, with seven walks, three hit batsmen, and seven errors. While the Dragons stumbled, Cartersville did what good teams do. The Hurricanes took advantage of almost every opportunity and Jefferson mistake. _____________________________________________________________ Click on photo to enlarge. PHOTOS (L-R starting top left): Both teams line up for the National Anthem; Coaches David Cagle and Kyle Tucker; Levi Ayers; Preston Welchel; Jake Gooch; Devin Warner; Anthony Seigler; Ian Inaba; Brant Smith; Mason Barnett. ____________________________________________________________ Seigler (5 IP, 2ER, 7H, 3BB, 6K) started on the mound as a southpaw and completed five innings. It was the ambidextrous hurler's first game action as a left-handed pitcher since March 9. He moved back to catcher in the sixth with his team on top, 8-2 and gave way to Gage Morris (2 IP, 1ER, 3H, 0BB, 1K) who closed out the final six outs. The Canes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Jake Gooch RBI double but Jefferson tied it in the top of the second inning with a Sammy Elegreet run producing single. From there, Cartersville scored seven unanswered runs in their next three frames to lead 8-1. The Dragons scored single runs in the fifth and seventh innings. The Hurricanes tacked on a single run in the sixth. Jefferson never made it easy on the Canes. The Dragons had four different players with two hits each and out hit Cartersville ten to six. Billy Finch (RBI, double), Ryan Godfrey, Lane Watkins, and Kade McNally all had two hits for Jefferson. Clayton Jones added an RBI double and Elegreet had one hit and one RBI. Brant Smith paced the Canes with two hits including a towering triple off the base of the left field wall. Gooch drove in a pair of runs on a double and a sacrifice fly. J.P. Martin, Ian Inaba, and Preston Welchel all added one hit and one RBI. Jefferson utilized four different pitchers in Game 2 with UGA-commit and starter Lane Watkins (3 IP, 7R, 5ER, 3H, 5BB, 1K) suffering the loss. Brycen Jewell (1 IP, 1ER, 2H, 1BB, 2K), Will Wood (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 2K), and Derek Vaughn (1 IP, 1ER, 1H) each threw an inning. "Hey, I'm happy with the way our guys competed in Game 2," said Cartersville skipper Kyle Tucker following the doubleheader. "I tell them all the time that you don't have to get 20 hits to score a lot of runs. We preach on-base percentage. Get on any way you can. We did a lot of that in this second game and we have another chance Wednesday night."

Former Cartersville High School and Georgia Southern University golfer Chase Jones was the best of the local finishers at the 2018 Georgia State Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship this past weekend at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta. Jones finished in a tie for 11th place, seven shots behind champion Taylor Smith. Smith fired rounds of 72-71-69 to finish at 212 (4-under-par) for the 54-hole event played on the 7,016-yard, par-72 course. Stan Gann, Jr. and Tyler Gruca tied for second place at 1-under-par. Jones’ 3-over total for the championship included rounds of 70, 75, and 74. Other local players that qualified for the championship field were Cres Dodd (+14, tied for 56th), Bill Faith (+6, tied for 18th), Chuck Miller (missed the 36-hole cut by two shots), and Chad Branton who withdrew from the competition. Entries were open to male amateur golfers age 25 or older as of the first day of competition. The field of 144 players competed over 54 holes of stroke play and 71 players at 9-over-par 153 and better made the cut after 36 holes.

Monday, the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes continue a quest for the school’s seventh state championship in a best-of-three state title series against Jefferson at State Mutual Stadium — home of the Rome Braves. Cartersville is also making its ninth trip to the state championship series in the last 18 years. However it will be the first time the Canes have played for a state title on a neutral site. It is also their first postseason series this year away from the friendly confines of Richard Bell Field. For Jefferson, a series win would be the first-ever baseball championship for the Dragons who are surprise finalists after upsetting heavily favored Blessed Trinity last week. The only other finals run for Jefferson came in 2015 when the Dragons finished 28-8 but were swept in the Class AAA state championship series by Blessed Trinity. In a way, 2018 has been a big turn-around season for both programs. Both were bounced in the first round of the state playoffs last Spring. Jefferson lost to Heritage-Catoosa in the first round. Cartersville lost to Blessed Trinity in the opening round last season. Jefferson (26-11) won the Region 8-AAAA championship and had to go three games in both the first round and state quarterfinal round of this year’s playoffs. The Dragons edged Chestatee 3-2 in their first-round opener but lost Game 2, 5-3. Jefferson then took the rubber-game of the first round series 6-4. 

In the second round, the Dragons swept a doubleheader with Northwest Whitfield 3-0 and 5-1, before being stretch to a third game in the quarterfinals with Woodward Academy. Again, Jefferson won the opener with Woodward Academy 5-4 but lost Game 2 with the War Eagles, 5-1. In another elimination rubber-game, Jefferson prevailed 10-5 to reach the semifinals against highly touted and top-ranked Blessed Trinity. In the semifinals last week, the Dragons never trailed in a two-game sweep. Jefferson took an early 7-1 lead and held a 10-4 advantage late before Blessed Trinity rallied for three runs in the seventh. The Dragons held off the Titans for a 10-7 win. Durable southpaw Patrick Hickox pitched 6 and two-thirds innings allowing 11 hits, seven runs (four earned) and one strikeout to earn the first game win. Freshman Derek Vaughn pitched to one batter to preserve the victory. Junior Zac Corbin was the Jefferson offensive hero in the semifinal opener. The D-I football recruit and shortstop paced the Dragons with a 3-for-4 performance that included a home run, two runs scored, and three RBIs. Corbin is batting .340 this season and was a co-Region 8-AAAA player of the year. Justin Cole, a senior outfielder, added two hits against Blessed Trinity as well as one run and one RBI. Freshman catcher Mason Cooper contributed a pair of hits and scored two runs. In Game 2, Jefferson blanked the Titans 2-0 on a five-hit complete-game shutout by junior pitcher Lane Watkins who has committed to the University of Georgia. The right-hand pitcher’s performance ended Blessed Trinity’s season with a 34-5 mark. Watkins, who is also a catcher and a corner infielder, fanned five and did not issue a walk. The Dragons scored twice in the fourth inning for all the offense they would need to complete the semifinal sweep. For many, the Dragons’ upset of Blessed Trinity was the biggest playoff upset in recent memory. Blessed Trinity was the Class AAAA preseason favorite and was ranked No. 1 the entire season. The Titans were also been ranked in most national polls throughout the season and the highest ranked team in Georgia in all classifications. They even held a No. 1 spot in the nation in one of the national rankings. 

Jefferson was ranked sixth by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in the final regular-season poll, Cartersville second. The Georgia Dugout Club rankings had Cartersville third and Jefferson sixth in its final regular season poll. Other key contributors for the Dragons and coach Tommy Knight have been third baseman Clayton Jones, an Emmanuel College commit; junior Sammy Elegreet; a sophomore outfielder Kade McNally who had a Game 3 walk-off homer against Chestatee; pitchers Will Wood and Vinny Farley; Ryan Godfrey and Oglethorpe University signee and second baseman Billy Finch. Meanwhile, the Canes have only gone to a third game only once in the first four rounds of the 2018 state playoffs. Cartersville (31-8) won the Region 5-AAAA title to earn a 1-seed and home-field advantage in the first two rounds. The GHSA’s universal coin toss was then kind to the Hurricanes and granted Cartersville home field for the next two rounds. 

The Canes swept Pickens 6-1 and 12-0 in Round 1 to face defending Class 4A champ Marist in the Sweet Sixteen. Cartersville won the opener with Marist 11-1 but fell in the nightcap 4-3 to force the only elimination game the Hurricanes have faced in the 2018 playoffs. The Canes dispatched the War Eagles in Game 3, 10-2 to advance. Two-game sweeps of Spalding (2-1, 11-1) in the quarterfinals and Heritage-Catoosa (6-5, 10-2) in the semifinals earned Cartersville a ninth finals appearance. The Hurricanes, under then head coach Stuart Chester, won a Class AAA state title in 2013, back-to-back championships in 2008 and 2009, and three in a row 2001-2003. 2001 and 2002 were in Class AA. 2003 was in Class AAA. 

This would be the Canes’ first-ever title in Class AAAA and of course the first title for new head coach Kyle Tucker. Tucker, a ten-year assistant with Chester and a Cartersville High and Clemson University grad, took the reigns of the program last summer as an interim head coach following a tumultuous transition. Tucker (photo) had even considered stepping away from baseball to focus solely on his football duties prior to a coaching upheaval. When Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Famer Chester moved on to Buford, Cartersville originally hired long-time Columbus High School head coach Bobby Howard to be the Canes’ skipper. Howard resigned the position days later following some confusion regarding his contract. That left the position to be filled by Tucker — first with an interim tag. Tucker then accepted the position full-time with the interim tag removed early in the 2018 season. The moves have worked out well for both Cartersville and Buford. Chester has the Wolves in the Class AAAAA championship series starting Monday against perennial power Loganville at the University of Georgia’s Foley Field in Athens. Throughout the season and playoffs, the Canes’ pitching has been steady and the offensive prowess has been timely. Senior star and likely MLB first-round draft pick, Anthony Seigler, has been the offensive catalyst with contributions on the mound as well. The ambidextrous catcher/pitcher in 2018 is highly capable at any position and a University of Florida commit. As a right-handed pitcher, Siegler (photo right) earned a semifinal round save in Game 1 where he also scored the go-ahead run. In the second game, he added a solo home run, scored the go-ahead run that broke a 2-2 tie, and finished 6-for-7 in the series. Seigler has stepped up his already impressive .424 season batting average to .636 during the playoffs with five home runs. His pitching numbers are just as incredible despite limited use in the playoffs. He has a 0.34 ERA and 0.87 WHIP for the year with 23 strikeouts in 20 and two-thirds innings. The rest of the Canes’ pitching staff has also impressed behind ace Mason Barnett. While the recent arm injury to Georgia Tech commit Jake Gooch might have been a major setback for most programs, it cleared the path for Cohen Wilbanks, Gage Morris, and Levi Ayers to take on even more prominent roles in the post-season. Barnett (photo), who is also hitting .383 for the year, has a 1.15 ERA with 21 strikeouts in four post-season starts. He has worked just over 18 innings in the playoffs. Those superb numbers have actually raised his season-long numbers that include a 0.59 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in just under 48 innings for the year. Wilbanks and Morris have combined to allow only four earned runs in the postseason in just over 13 innings each. Both have improved their season ERAs with their post-season work. Wilbanks has fanned 18 and Morris 16 in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Ayers, utilized as a starter for much of the season, waits in the wings sporting an ERA of 1.64 with 37 strikeouts in just under 41 innings in 2018. In addition to Seigler and Barnett on offense, the Hurricanes have enjoyed the re-emergence of switch-hitting shortstop Devin Warner. Although the Auburn-signee did not produce the regular season numbers he expected, Warner has flourished in the playoffs with a .346 batting average, four doubles, and a pair of home runs. Gooch’s bat has not been impacted by the injury that has kept him off the mound. With seven home runs (three in the post-season), .359 batting average, and a post-season slugging percentage of .759, Gooch has continued to produce in the middle of the Canes’ order. Toss in the hot post-season bats of Lipscomb University commit Jordan Wilkie (.393 BA, 5 doubles playoffs) and J.P. Martin (.400 BA playoffs) along with timely contributions by University of South Alabama commit Preston Welchel, Ian Inaba, and Josh Davis, it is easy to see why Cartersville has scored 10 or more runs in nine of its last 14 games and averaged more than 7 runs per game all season. The contributions of Canes' senior LaDarius Winburn also should not be discounted. Often utilized by Tucker as a courtesy runner, Winburn's speed and aggression on the base paths has been effective. He has scored six runs in the playoffs and has a home run in three plate appearances. Monday’s AAAA Championship Series doubleheader will start at 5 p.m. Cartersville will be the designated visiting team for Game 1 and the designated home team in Game 2. For both games Monday, the Canes will occupy the first base dugout. The stadium and surface will be familiar for the Canes who have played games at State Mutual Stadium in recent years. Most recently, eight different Cartersville pitchers combined to blank Pepperell 6-0 back on March 24.

 The field is slightly larger than a typical high school venue which does create larger gaps in the outfield, but Tucker says his team will adjust their outfielders accordingly and thinks playing on the field earlier in the year should make his players more comfortable. If a third game is needed, it will be played Wednesday at a time to be determined.