The Georgia Highlands College baseball team is off to arguably its best start in program history, but the Chargers stumbled out of the gate Saturday as they opened Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association conference play in Statesboro against East Georgia with a 13-5 loss. The Bobcats took an early lead over Georgia Highlands and the Chargers’ offense never caught up. East Georgia took a 7-0 lead after only two innings and extended that lead to 9-0 through five innings before the Chargers got on the scoreboard. GHC posted three runs in the sixth to pull within six, but the Bobcats — who pounded out 17 hits in the game — added runs in each of the next three frames for an eventual 13-5 win. Parker Stahlman, Drew Haywood, and Kevin Jimenez combined for 10 hits, six runs, and five RBI to lead the East Georgia offense. Haywood homered and doubled in a four-hit day. Pitchers Rhett Gay and Tyler Owens limited GHC to only two earned runs on seven hits and struck out 10. Zach Miller was the only Charger with two hits. Blake Brady (RBI), Nick Piccapietra (RBI), Skylar McPhee, Parker Orr (2 RBI), and Austin Foster had one hit each. Georgia Highlands’ starter Drew Wilson was touched for seven runs (three earned) on nine hits and one walk. Tyler Sellers (5 IP, 4R, 2ER, 8H, 3BB, 1K) and Matt Norton (1 IP, 2ER, 0H, 4BB, 2K) pitched in relief for the Chargers. Georgia Highlands (13-6, 0-1 GCAA) hosts Macomb (Mich.) Sunday at noon and will play a four-game series with conference foe Abraham Baldwin College Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Wednesday’s game is at LakePoint. Friday’s game and Saturday’s doubleheader will be in Tifton.

The Woodland Lady Cats finished fourth and the Wildcats were 15th at the Nike Panther Relays Friday and Saturday at Starrs Mills High School in Fayetteville. There were 26 varsity teams in the event. Hoover (AL) won the girls varsity division with 107.33 points. They were followed by Shiloh (78.5), Alexander (41.5), and Woodland (40.5). Hoover (AL) also won the boys varsity title with 94.5 points. Archer (67), East Coweta (50.5), Peachtree Ridge (48), and Dutchtown (47) followed. Woodland finished with 13 team points. Top Woodland performances (Top 8 place in finals) Girls 1600M Run 4th — Carli Clymer (5:16.71) Girls 3200M Run 2nd — Carli Clymer (11:29.76) 3rd — McKenna Trapheagen (11:34.06) 4th — Angela Cochran (11:34.57) 5th — Lindsay Scifers (11:35.11) Girls Distance Medley 3rd — Woodland (Lindsay Scifers, Carli Clymer, Angela Cochran, McKenna Trapheagen) (13.02.76) Girls Pole Vault 6th — Brooke Cooper (8-06) Girls Discus Throw 5th — Skylar Chappell (97-10) Boys Pole Vault 2nd — Tommy Duke (13-00) 8th — Jimmy Davis (10-06) Boys Long Jump 6th — Markal Brown (20-04) Boys Discus Throw 8th — Kurtis Feanny (125-04)

The Cartersville boys track and field team placed sixth and the Lady Canes placed seventh Saturday at the Rome Invitational at Barron Stadium. The eleven school event was won by the Rome boys with 165 points, followed by Hillgrove (136) and Alcovy (76.5). Cartersville scored 44 points. Hillgrove won the girls championship with 227.5 points. Rome (105.5) was second with Alcovy (65) third. Cartersville scored 29 points. Top Cartersville performances (top 8 in finals) Girls 800M 7th — Kayla Carpenter (2:42.24) Girls 3200M 7th — Vanna Beach (13:20.93) 8th — Alex Machado (13:28.35) Girls 300M Hurdles 8th — Jessica Harris (56.55) Girls Pole Vault 8th — Ashlin Borkowsky (6-06) Girls Shot Put 1st — London Shaw (38-01.5) Girls Discus Throw 1st — London Shaw (107-09) 7th — Victoria Covington (81-11) Boys 100M 6th — Terry Berdin (11.38) Boys 200M 4th — Terry Berdin (22.70) Boys 1600M 4th — Max Florence (5:03.59) 5th — Bill Archer (5:05.79) Boys High Jump 7th — Brandon Martin (5-08) Boys Pole Vault 1st — Nick Bebko (12-06) 5th — Jack Merritt (9-06) Boys Long Jump 5th — Cecil Harrish (20-03) Boys Shot Put 6th — Jordon Wells (41-01) Boys Discus Throw 4th — Nick Root (123-03)

The Cass boys finished fifth, Adairsville boys sixth, Cass girls seventh, and Adairsville girls 11th Saturday at the 13-school Southeast Whitfield Track & Field Invitational. Dalton won the girls meet with 112 points. Heritage-Catoosa (77) was second followed by Gilmer (75) in third place. The Cass girls scored 40 points. Adairsville finished with 23.5. The Dalton boys also won with 106 points. Heritage-Catoosa (96) was second while Pickens and Calhoun tied for third with 70 points each. Cass finished with 63 points. Adairsville totaled 42. Top Local results: (placed top 8 in event finals) Girls 100M 8th — Ji’Leyah Mitchell, Adairsville (14.12) Girls 200M 3rd — Josie Turner, Cass (29.21) 5th — Ji’Leyah Mitchell, Adairsville (29.79) 7th — Keturah Redding, Cass (30.20) Girls 800M 6th — Charlotte Sturgeon, Cass (2:55) Girls 1600M 6th — Charlotte Sturgeon, Cass (6:30) Girls 4x100M Relay 2nd — Cass ‘A’ (55.03) Girls High Jump 2nd — Kyler Trouten, Cass (4-10.25) Girls Shot Put 1st — Chanel Clemmons, Cass (37-08) 3rd — Josie Summerville, Adairsville (33-05) 4th — Nakiya Washington, Adairsville (30-05.75) Girls Discus Throw 2nd — Nakiyah Washington, Adairsville (99-04) Boys 100M 3rd — Daylon Bailey, Adairsville (11.59) 4th — Tanayce Calhoun, Cass (11.59) Boys 200M 2nd — Tanayce Calhoun, Cass (23.76) 3rd — Daylon Bailey, Adairsville (24.31) Boys 110M Hurdles 2nd — Nigel Whittington, Cass (16.85) Boys 300M Hurdles 5th — Nigel Whittington, Cass (45.88) 7th — Shane Cooper, Cass (48.26) Boys 4x100M Relay 1st — Adairsville ‘A’ (45.03) 5th — Cass ‘A’ (46.93) Boys High Jump 2nd — Tavarus Varnum, Cass (6-02) 6th — Kamari Robinson, Cass (5-06.25) 6th — Ethan Belcher, Adairsville (5-06.25) Boys Pole Vault 1st — Steven Smith, Cass (12-06) Boys Long Jump 2nd — Daylon Bailey, Adairsville (19-09) 4th — Ethan Belcher, Adairsville (19-03.75) Boys Triple Jump 6th — Kamari Robinson, Cass (34-06.25) Boys Shot Put 4th — Brock Holland, Adairsville (40-01.25) Boys Discus Throw 4th — Ian Herman, Cass (110-00) 6th — Nathan Gant, Cass (102.02)

Class 4A third-ranked Cartersville lost a five run lead late in the game, but edged Class 6A top-ranked River Ridge Saturday 9-8 in extra innings to win the Canes’ first game of the day at Forsyth Central High School in Cumming. River Ridge scored three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-0 lead before Cartersville took advantage of six Knights’ errors, a walk, and a hit batsman to score eight runs in the top of the third inning. Mason Barnett had a hit in the inning and Devin Warner doubled home two of the eight runs for an 8-3 lead. River Ridge (6-2) added a single run in the sixth inning before tying the game with a four-run seventh. In the top of the eighth inning, Jake Gooch singled and J.P. Martin doubled to put two runners in scoring position with two outs. Curtis Wilkes was inserted as a courtesy runner for Gooch and scored on a wild pitch that gave the Canes the game-winning run. Levi Ayers (1.2 IP, 2ER, 3H, 1BB, 3K) picked up the pitching win for Cartersville by working a scoreless eighth inning. Martin (0.1 IP, 3ER, 1H, 3BB), Gage Morris (5.2 IP, 1R, 0ER, 2H, 0BB, 4K), and Cohen Wilbanks (0.1 IP, 2ER, 0H, 2BB, 1K) also took the mound against the Knights. Devin Warner had two hits including a double and two RBI. Anthony Seigler, Barnett, Gooch, Martin (double), Brant Smith, and Garrett Shelton added one hit each for the Hurricanes. Josh Davis added a pair of RBI. CARTERSVILLE 5, FORSYTH CENTRAL 4 Devin Warner singled on the first pitch of his at bat in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday night to drive home the game winning run in walk-off fashion as Cartersville won at Forsyth Central, 5-4. The dramatic hit was set up by walks to Preston Welchel and Ian Inaba, followed by a game-tying RBI single by Mason Barnett. Cartersville trailed the Bulldogs 4-3 going into the bottom of the seventh. Forsyth Central led 2-0 with single runs in their half of the third and fourth innings. Cartersville tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth on a two-RBI double by J.P. Martin. The Canes took their first lead in the sixth when Warner reached on an error, advanced to third with two outs, and scored on a passed ball for a Cartersville 3-2 lead. Josh Davis had a bunt single in the inning. The Bulldogs took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh on a walk and three errors in the frame, but the Canes’ bats came to the rescue in the bottom of the inning. Barnett, who was on the hook for the pitching loss when the Canes fell behind late on the two unearned runs, picked up the win as the fourth Cartersville pitcher of the game. Levi Ayers (3 IP, 1ER, 4H, 4K), Cohen Wilbanks (1 IP, 1ER, 1H, 1K), and Curtis Wilkes (2 IP, 0R, 0H, 3K) also pitched. Jake Gooch and Barnett (RBI) finished with two hits in the game. Martin (2 RBI), Wilkie, Davis, and Warner (GW-RBI) had one hit each for the Canes. Five different Bulldogs (9-2) had one hit each including doubles by Jacob Holton and A.J. Feichter. Cartersville (8-3) will open play Thursday in the 2018 Perfect Game High School Showdown at LakePoint in Emerson. The Canes will play Seminary (Louisiana) in the first round at 8:30 p.m. The Hurricanes will play four games during the three-day event. The championship is a 16-team, single-elimination bracket with consolation games for teams not reaching the finals.

The Adairsville baseball team swept a doubleheader with visiting Armuchee Saturday, 10-0 and 13-7. Kyler Pelfrey struck out 14 in six innings and tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout in the opening 10-0 victory. The Tigers then posted ten runs in the first three innings and had a dozen hits in their 13-7 win over the Indians. Garrett Mishoe (4 IP, 1ER, 2H, 3BB, 8K) picked up the pitching win for Adairsville in the second game of the day. BJ Roper (1R, 0ER, 1H, 1BB), Cody Henderson (1 IP, 2ER, 1H, 2BB, 2K), and Elijah Padgett (1 IP, 3ER, 2H, 2BB, 2K) also took the mound in Game 2. Mishoe was 5-for-6 in the doubleheader with one RBI. Roper was 4-for-7 with two RBI. Corey Nation was 3-for-6 with three RBI. Henderson was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Trace Still (2 RBI), Pelfrey (2 RBI), and Hunter Hice added two hits each for the Tigers. Armuchee slipped to 3-4 on the year with the two losses. Adairsville (6-2) plays at Carrollton Monday at 5:55 p.m., hosts Woodland Thursday at 5:30 p.m., and will entertain North Cobb Saturday at 1 p.m.

Kenny Jinks struck out nine and tossed a complete game, four-hit shutout in Game 1 and the Wildcats scored eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings for an 8-3 win in Game 2 as Woodland swept a doubleheader Saturday at Darlington. In Game 1, Woodland took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first and added three insurance runs in the top of the fifth to support Jinks’ pitching performance. PHOTO: Kenny Jinks Koby Stansell doubled and Bailey Ward drove him in with a pop fly single for the Wildcats’ opening run. Stansell singled again to leadoff the fifth, advanced to third with two outs, and eventually scored on a balk. Two more runs scored for Woodland in the inning on a wild pitch and an infield throw. Ward, Stansell, and Chris Mills all had two hits for the Wildcats in the first game. Tyler Dilcher and Scotty Smith (RBI) had two hits for Woodland in Game 2. Jordan Lee drove in three runs and had one hit. Garrett Cornett contributed a hit and two RBI. Titus Jones drove in a pair of runs and Bailey Ward had one hit. Bryce Evans (3 IP, 3ER, 3H, 6BB, 1K) and Peyton Posey (0R, 1H, 0BB, 3K) combined to limit the Tigers to three runs with Posey receiving credit for the win. Darlington falls to 2-6 on the year with the two losses. Woodland (5-4) hosts Rockmart Monday, plays at Sonoraville Tuesday and travels to Adairsville Thursday.

The Woodland girls tennis team placed sixth Saturday at the Kennesaw Mountain Invitational winning one of three matches on the day against some high quality competition. The Lady Cats were edged by Hillgrove 3-2 in the first round; defeated Harrison 3-2 in the consolation semifinals; and fell to Woodstock 4-1 in the consolation finals. In the loss to Hillgrove, Woodland’s Christy Turner won at Line 1 singles 6-2, 6-2 and the Line 1 doubles team of Breanna Shook and Becky Wesley won their match 7-5, 6-2. In the win over Harrison, Turner won again at Line 1 singles, 6-3, 6-2; Deanna Dodson won at Line 3 singles, 6-3, 6-3; and the Shook/Wesley Line 1 doubles team won 10-4 in a tie-breaker after splitting sets 1-6, 6-1. Kayla Gales and Becky Wesley of the Lady Cats won Woodland’s only match against Woodstock. The Line 2 doubles team won a 10-8 tie-breaker after splitting two sets, 6-4, 3-6.

The Cass baseball team split a doubleheader Saturday with visiting Dalton at the Cass High School Athletic Complex winning the opener 11-2, but dropping the second game 6-1. The Colonels scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning in the first game of the day and added two more in the second to take an early 8-0 lead. After Dalton scored twice in the third inning, Cass added a single run in the fourth and two more in the sixth for their nine-run win. It was also the first loss of the year for the Catamounts. Steven Spell (5 IP, 2ER, 7H, 0BB, 6K) picked up the pitching win for the Colonels and Wyatt Karlovich (2 IP, 0R, 2H, 1BB, 3K) closed out the opener on the mound. Clay Means homered, doubled, walked, and scored three runs to spark the Cass offense. Nathan Smith drove in four runs with a pair of hits. Evan Hinton had two doubles and Gavin Young finished with two hits. Matt Shook drove in a run with a double and Spell had an RBI hit. Blaine Ingram also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. The Catamounts took the second game of the doubleheader 6-1 behind the strong pitching performances of Justin Ketchum and Grant Goldberg. The pair combined to limited Cass to a single, unearned run on three hits and a walk. Ketcham fanned eight in the first six innings. Goldberg retired the side in order to earn a save. Dalton’s Rhett Hammontree drove in two runs with three hits. Sebastian Orozco drove in two runs with two hits including a double. Nathan Smith and Evan Hinton both had doubles for Cass. Thomas Botts had the other hit for the Colonels. Blaine Ingram (3 IP, 2R, 0ER, 2H, 2BB, 2K) started on the mound for Cass and was tagged with the loss despite not allowing an earned run. Parker Hardin (1.1 IP, 1ER, 1H, 2BB, 1K), Gavin Young (0.2 IP, 1R, 0R, 2H, 1BB, 1K), Nic Wallin (1 IP, 2ER, 3H, 1BB, 2K), and Botts (1 IP, 0R, 0BB, 1H) all pitched for the Colonels. Dalton improved to 6-1 with the Game 2 win. Cass (4-5) returns to the diamond Monday at 5:30 p.m. when the Colonels host Murray County. They play at North Murray Wednesday and will visit Murray County on Thursday.

Three Bartow County Parks and Recreation Department youth basketball teams participated in their respective GRPA State Tournaments this weekend. After all three teams lost preliminary pool-play games Friday, the Bartow 8U girls won a quarterfinal elimination game before falling in the semifinals. The Bartow 10U girls and the Bartow 10U boys both were eliminated in their quarterfinal games Saturday morning. 8U GIRLS at Edwards Park, Dalton Bartow 8U girls defeated Rome Saturday morning in a quarterfinal elimination game 17-8. Rakhia Pace led Bartow with six points. Alaina Parr and Samantha Gough scored four points. Madelyn Weightman added two points and Lilli Wear scored one point. In the state semifinals Saturday afternoon, the Bartow 8U girls were eliminated by host Whitfield County 29-13. Samantha Gough led Bartow with four points. Lily Powell followed with three points. Payton Dodson, Rakhia Pace, and Ella Rogers finished with two points each. The Bartow 8U girls roster includes: Olivia G Anderson, Taryn C Bradley, Payton Dotson, Samantha Gough, Rakhia Pace. Alaina Parr, Lily Powell, Ella Cate Rogers, Lilli Wear, and Madelyn Weightman 10U GIRLS at Edwards Park, Dalton The Bartow 10U girls lost in the state quarterfinals to host Whitfield County, 27-20. KK Arnold led Bartow with seven points. Alana Carnes scored six, Sadie Raughton five, and Summerlyn Smith two points. The Bartow 10U girls roster includes: Kaytlin Arnold, Alana Carnes, Haley Collum, Katlyn Taylor Evans, Kali Monroe, Addie Pearson, Sadie Raughton, Summerlyn Smith, Darianna Sosa, and Olivia Woods. 10U BOYS at Taylor Street Gym, Griffin The GRPA District 5 champion Bartow County 10U boys were eliminated in the state quarterfinals Saturday morning by College Park 34-29. College Park is the District 4 champion. 10U Bartow Boys Blue roster: Jakai Baldwin, Jakez Baldwin, Jamarcus Bryant, Jabari Burleson, Tavaris Burleson, Tyrek Hames, Kyron McClendon, Jarrett M Scott, Elijah Woods, and Jordyn Woods.

All four local high school football programs released their 2018 varsity schedules this week. ADAIRSVILLE TIGERS August 10 — SCRIMMAGE at Woodland August 17 — CHATTOOGA August 24 — at Cass August 31 — —Open— September 7 — COAHULLA CREEK (HC) September 14 — at Haralson County September 21 — NORTH MURRAY September 28 — at Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe October 5 — CALHOUN October 12 — at Sonoraville October 19 — MURRAY COUNTY October 26 — at Ringgold November 2 — —Open— CARTERSVILLE PURPLE HURRICANES August 10 — SCRIMMAGE at Dalton August 17 — ALLATOONA August 24 — —Open— August 31 — LUELLA September 7 — McNair September 14 — CHEROKEE September 21 — at Cedartown September 28 — CENTRAL-CARROLL October 5 — LAGRANGE October 12 — at Sandy Creek October 19 — at Chapel Hill October 26 — —Open— November 2 — TROUP CASS COLONELS August 10 — SCRIMMAGE vs. PEPPERELL August 17 — —Open— August 24 — ADAIRSVILLE August 31 — at Forsyth Central September 7 — WOODLAND September 14 — at Villa Rica September 21 — at Rome September 28 — CARROLLTON October 5 — at Hiram October 12 — EAST PAULDING (HC) October 19 — at Kell October 26 — —Open— November 2 — PAULDING COUNTY WOODLAND WILDCATS August 10 — SCRIMMAGE vs. ADAIRSVILLE August 17 — at Southeast Whitfield August 24 — —Open— August 31 — EAST HALL September 7 — at Cass September 14 — PAULDING COUNTY (HC) September 21 — at Hiram September 28 — ROME October 5 — CARROLLTON October 12 — —Open— October 19 — at Villa Rica October 26 — EAST PAULDING November 2 — at Kell

The Woodland girls soccer team won a hard-fought Region 7-AAAAA match Friday evening at Hiram, 2-1, with a come-from-behind effort in the second half. The Lady Hornets led 1-0 at the intermission, but goals by Jordan Evans and Grace Webb late in the game led to the Lady Cats’ victory. Evans’ goal came off a feed from Webb with 13 minutes remaining and Webb followed with an unassisted tally with only 10 minutes remaining. Esmeralda Hernandez earned the victory in net for Woodland. She finished with five saves. The Lady Cats (4-3, 1-1) host Kell at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. WOODLAND BOYS 3, HIRAM 2 Trailing by a goal with 25 minutes remaining, the Wildcats got two goals by Miguel Hernandez to escape at Hiram with a victory, 3-2. Woodland’s Jose Pineda had a first half goal to give the Wildcats a 1-0 advantage at the intermission, but the Hornets (1-6, 0-2) took a 2-1 lead early in the second half. Woodland (2-3-1, 2-0) hosts Kell on Tuesday. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 8, HARALSON COUNTY 0 Emily Collum scored four goals; Chloe Cochran and Sadie Johnson both scored twice; and Emily Emmons found the net on a penalty kick as the Lady Tigers cruised to an easy 8-0 Region 6-AAA win Friday at Tiger Valley. Johnson assisted on four of the goals and keeper Havyn Isaac was credited with the shutout. Adairsville (4-1-1, 1-1) hosts Model Tuesday. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 10, HARALSON COUNTY 0 Dani Carillo finished with a hat-trick and two assists as the Tigers routed visiting Haralson County Friday night, 10-0. Joseph Pacheco, Angel Banda, and William Longmore added two goals each for Adairsville. Gabriel Sanchez totaled three assists on the night. Lopez and Miguel Garcia finished with a pair of assists each. Keepers Nic Jackson and Tyrek Bryant shared time in net for the shutout. Adairsville (2-1, 2-0) faces Model Tuesday. ROME GIRLS 3, CASS 2 The Lady Colonels held a 2-1 lead in the second half Friday night, but the visiting Rome Lady Wolves scored a pair of late goals to hand Cass its second Region 7-AAAAA loss. Logan Vermaas scored both Cass goals. The first score n the 24th minute to give Cass a 1-0 lead, the other in the opening minutes of the second half for a 2-1 Lady Colonels' advantage. Cass (2-7, 0-2) travels to Paulding County on Tuesday. ROME BOYS 10, CASS 2 Anthony Robledo notched both of the Cass goals, but Rome scored six times in the second half for a runaway victory in a Region 7-AAAAA match Friday night at Cass. Rome improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in region action. Carlos Perez assisted on one of the Cass goals; Colonels’ keeper Isai Romero had 12 saves; Vlad Wells recorded three saves; and Sammy Reyes had two stops. Cass (1-7, 0-2) travels to Paulding County Tuesday.