Final results for Scott Hamilton Golf Academy players for tour events ending Sunday, April 2. Each week, Bartow Sports Zone tracks the professional golfers on tour affiliated with Cartersville Country Club's Scott Hamilton Golf Academy (ScottHamiltonGolf.com) and teaching professional Mike Granato (MikeGranatoGolf.com). Both Hamilton and Granato are affiliated professionals with Athletic Motion Golf. (https://athleticmotiongolf.com) Scott Hamilton is the long time Director of Golf at Cartersville Country Club and is teacher/advisor/instructor to many prominent golf professionals competing on the PGA Tour, PGA Champions Tour, WEB.com Tour, LPGA Tour, and more. Mike Granato is a local golf instructor who also works with many of Hamilton's clients. PGA TOUR Russell Henley, part of the Scott Hamilton Golf Academy group of players, made 10 birdies to fire an amazing 7-under 65 Sunday to come from four shots back to win the PGA Tour’s Shell Houston Open Sunday. The 27-year-old Henley, actually started his day with a pair of birdies to wrap up a delayed third round, then carried that momentum into his final round. The Shell Houston Open win for Henley is his third PGA Tour victory, but first since the 2014 Honda Classic. The victory also awards Henley an invitation to this week’s Master’s where he missed the cut in 2013, tied for 31st in 2014, and was 21st in 2015. Hudson Swafford, another SHGA player already qualified for the Masters, finished sixth in Houston with a 12-under-par total and a 5-under round on Sunday. Aaron Baddeley and Charles Howell III were the other SHGA players to make the cut. Baddeley tied for 15th. Howell tied for 39th. Four other players affiliated with SHGA were in the Houston event but failed to make the cut. They included Ben Martin, Boo Weekley, Steven Bowditch, and Scott Stallings. PGA CHAMPIONS TOUR On the PGA Champions Tour, SHGA-player Joe Durant shot a final round 74 Sunday at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic in Biloxi, MS to fall out of the top ten. He still finished tied for 11th at 7-under-par after firing opening rounds of 66 and 69. Miguel Angel Jiminez won the title this week in a playoff over Savannah's Gene Sauers. The two were tied after 54 holes at 13-under-par. The next event on the PGA Champions Tour is the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, April 14-16 at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, GA. WEB.COM TOUR Casey Wittenberg, one of the players currently working with Cartersville Country Club’s Scott Hamilton Golf Academy and local golf instructor Mike Granato won the Web.com Tour’s 2017 Chitimacha Louisian Open Sunday, March 26 at Le Triomphe Golf and Country Club in Broussard, Louisiana. He carded a 2-under par 69 in the final round to finish 21-under for the four-day tournament and won by three shots over Xinjun Zhang. The next event on the Web.com Tour is the United Leasing & Finance Championship at Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Indiana April 20-23.

Cartersville continues to hold down the No. 5 spot in Class AAAA in the Georgia Dugout Preview Magazine high school baseball poll for the week ending April 1. The Hurricanes are one of four teams from Region 5AAAA in the Top Ten in Class AAAA. LaGrange is No. 2, Troup is No. 4, and Cedartown is No. 7 in this week’s poll. From Region 7AAAAA that includes Cass and Woodland, teams in the Top Ten include Carrollton at No. 5 and Kell at No. 7. East Paulding is listed as a team considered for a Top Ten spot. In Class AAA, Adairsville’s Region 6AAA is represented by No. 2 Ringgold with North Murray, Coahulla Creek, and Calhoun receiving Top Ten consideration. Georgia Dugout Preview Magazine high school baseball polls for week ending April 1, 2017 Records are courtesy of MaxPreps and Gamechanger. Class AAAAAAA Rank - Team - Record - Previous 1. Walton (18-4) 1 2. Mill Creek (18-3) 2 3. Parkview (17-3) 3 4. North Gwinnett (20-1) 5 5. Brookwood (15-4) 4 6. Grayson (18-5) 6 7. Lassiter (17-5) 7 8. Milton (14-6) 8 9. Archer (15-5) 9 10. Lambert (12-9) 10 Others considered: East Coweta (17-4), Hillgrove (14-7), Camden County (15-5), North Paulding (13-6-1) Class AAAAAA Rank - Team - Record - Previous 1. Winder-Barrow (18-2) 2 2. Pope (19-2) 1 3. Allatoona (19-2) 3 4. Harrison (16-4) 4 5. Dalton (17-5) 5 6. Northview (17-3) 7 7. Lee County (13-7) 6 8. Greenbrier (16-5) 8 9. Alexander (18-3) --- 10. River Ridge (16-6) -- Others considered: Gainesville (13-6), Valdosta (12-5), Alpharetta (13-8), Glynn Academy (15-6), Richmond Hill (16-6), Dacula (13-7), Tucker (17-6), Mundy’s Mill (16-4), Stephenson (13-7), South Paulding (16-7) Class AAAAA Rank - Team - Record - Previous 1. Starr's Mill (18-1-1) 3 2. Locust Grove (18-4) 1 3. Veterans (17-6) 2 4. Buford (13-7) 4 5. Carrollton (20-3) 5 6. Loganville (11-8) 8 7. Kell (16-6) 9 8. Griffin (14-4-1) 6 9. Jones County (15-6) 7 10. Thomas County Central (11-10) 10 Others considered: Harris County (14-6), Ola (15-7), Wayne County (13-7), Walnut Grove (12-8), Union Grove (13-10), Dutchtown (18-6), Columbia (17-4), Riverwood (18-3), Decatur (16-4), Chamblee (16-6), Arabia Mountain (12-6), East Paulding (9-10) Class AAAA Rank - Team - Record - Previous 1. Blessed Trinity (18-3) 1 2. LaGrange (14-7) 2 3. Heritage-Catoosa (15-5) 3 4. Troup (15-8) 4 5. Cartersville (15-6) 5 6. Woodward Academy (13-4) 7 7. Cedartown (14-5) 6 8. Eastside (16-4) 8 9. Oconee County (14-4) 10 10. Jefferson (13-6) 9 Others considered: Cairo (16-4), Northwest Whitfield (14-7), Spalding (11-5), Marist (11-10), Mary Persons (16-7), Pickens (12-6), West Hall (10-9), Northside-Columbus (11-9), West Laurens (11-8), Shaw (9-8), Columbus (10-10), Cross Creek (11-7), Burke County (12-4) Class AAA Rank - Team - Record - Previous 1. North Hall (16-4) 1 2. Ringgold (17-4) 4 3. Redan (12-8-1) 6 4. Pierce County (14-6) 2 5. Westminster (11-5) 3 6. Greater Atlanta Christian (13-7) 7 7. Morgan County (18-5) 9 8. Pike County (15-7) 8 9. Pace Academy (15-3) --- 10. Worth County (15-3) 10 Others considered: Appling County (15-6), Lovett (9-8-1), North Murray (12-5), Dawson County (14-6), Franklin County (12-8), Cook (12-7), Jackson (10-3), Hart County (11-12), Jackson County (13-9), Coahulla Creek (13-7), Calhoun (10-9), Jenkins (10-7) Class AA Rank - Team - Record -Previous 1. Heard County (14-5) 1 2. Benedictine (14-8) 2 3. Elbert County (18-3) 4 4. Jeff Davis (15-6) 3 5. Callaway (14-7) 6 6. Harlem (17-5) 5 7. Rockmart (12-7) 8 8. Bleckley County (13-4) 9 9. Bacon County (14-8) 7 10. Fitzgerald (12-7) --- Others considered: Thomasville (10-9), Berrien (10-9), Laney (12-2), Dodge County (11-6), Social Circle (10-8) Class A Public Rank -Team - Record - Previous 1. Gordon Lee (14-3) 1 2. Schley County (17-2) 2 3. ECI (15-2) 4 4. Bowdon (13-6) 3 5. Trion (9-5) 5 6. Seminole County (23-0) 7 7. Lanier County (17-3) 8 8. Charlton County (14-4) 6 9. Taylor County (17-1) 10 10. Irwin County (11-5) --- Others considered: Telfair County (9-8), Miller County (16-2), Treutlen (11-8), Baconton Charter (13-4), Washington-Wilkes (12-8), GMC (11-7), Commerce (13-10), Clinch County (10-7) Class A Private Rank - Team - Record - Previous 1. Tattnall Square (17-1) 1 2. Savannah Christian (18-3) 2 3. Holy Innocents’ (18-2) 3 4. Kings Ridge Christian (15-5) 4 5. Hebron Christian (13-5) 6 6. Calvary Day (12-6) 5 7. Mount de Sales (12-6) 7 8. Strong Rock Christian (15-5) 8 9. Aquinas (15-3) 10 10. Athens Christian (16-4) --- Others considered: Mount Paran Christian (13-7, Prince Avenue Christian (12-6), Providence Christian (11-9), North Cobb Christian (9-7), Brookstone (16-6), Savannah Country Day (13-4), First Presbyterian Day (9-9), Whitefield Academy (10-6), George Walton (9-11), Athens Academy (12-5), Fellowship Christian (12-8)

JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. --- The duo of Chad Branton of Cartersville and Steve Stewart of Adairsville finished where they started and earned the title at the Georgia Four-Ball Tournament. The 29th edition of this event, which kicked off the GSGA's competition season, was played at Jekyll Island Golf Club, March 31-April 2. Story and photo courtesy gsga.org -- http://www.gsga.org/index.php/competitions/event_detail/3115 Branton and Stewart combined for an 11-under-par 205 total score after posting rounds of 65-69-71 over the three-day tournament. A duo from McDonough in Rick Dubois and David Maddox, the defending champions of this year's Four-Ball Tournament after winning a year ago at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, earned runner-up honors at 10-under-par 206 (67-70-69). Michael Morawiec of Woodstock and Nick Brown of Canton claim top honors in flight one at 7-under-par 209 (69-70-70). The flight two title goes to Dave Oster of Brookhaven and Frank Remmes of Lilburn at 2-under-par 214 (75-68-71). Two teams tied for first-place in the third flight at 1-over-par 217, including Randy Bailey of Gainesville and Ron Echols of Buford (74-73-70), and Kevin Malone of Atlanta and Roy Lichlyter III of Marietta (75-71-71). Playing on the Pine Lakes track on Jekyll Island, Wade Turner of Roberta and James Singletary of Forsyth earn flight honors in the fourth at 4-under-par 212 (70-71-71). Benny Justice of Gray and B.J. Fischer of Macon win flight five at 9-under-par 207 (69-69-69). In the sixth flight, Johnny Page of St. Simons Island and Dewayne Moore of Macon won at 2-under-par 214 (67-74-73). The seventh flight was won by the tandem of Tom Matyas of Dawsonville and Steve Emery of Lawrenceville at 17-over-par 233 (79-77-77). The Championship flight and flights one, two and three played on the Indian Mound course at Jekyll Island. Flights four through seven competed on the Pine Lakes course. Entries were open to two-man teams of male amateur golfers who belong to a GSGA member club and have combined USGA Handicap Indexes of 4.0 and above and a maximum differential of six strokes. Competitors will play all three rounds on the same course. The next stop on the GSGA circuit is the Georgia Senior Match Play Championship, which will be held at Green Island Country Club in Columbus, April 11-14.

Bartow County Little League (Major) results for Opening Day, March 25 and the following week. The teams take a week off the regular season schedule while the local schools are on spring break and return to action the week of April 10. In early action, the Athletics, Giants, and Orioles remain unbeaten and untied. Saturday, March 25 ATHLETICS 10, TWINS 4 A’s: Brayden Butler two hits, four RBIs; Dawson Craig one hit, two RBIs. Robert Mitchell (4 IP, 4ER, 2H, 7BB, 8K) TWINS: Cadyn Wade two hits, three RBIs BRAVES 13, CARDINALS 1 BRAVES: Brice Craig two HRs, five RBIs; Mason Williams two hits, one RBI. Mason Williams (4 IP, 1R, 0ER, 0H, 4BB, 5K) CARDS: River Durocher two stolen bases. CUBS 6, METS 5 CUBS: Caden Goff, Dustin Brokshire, Eddie Boggs, Jonathan Torrence, and Colten Tucker one double each. Levi Earwood two RBIs. Corey Brookshire (4 IP, 5R, 1ER, 1H, 5BB, 7K) METS: Jordan Durham one hit. Jake Crapps (4 IP, 6R, 4ER, 7H, 5BB, 8K) GIANTS 13, RANGERS 6 GIANTS: Mark Perdue two hits incl. double, four RBIs; Evan Sanders two hits (double, triple), two RBIs. Andrew Stiles (3.2 IP, 6R, 3ER, 2H, 5BB, 6K) RANGERS: Christopher Cabe one hit, one RBI; Cameron Constantine one hit. ORIOLES 6, TIGERS 0 O’s: Ashton Phillips (RBI), Devon Pryer (RBI), and Tyler Driggers one triple each. Tyler Driggers (5 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 14K) TIGERS: Carson Gray (4 IP, 6R, 2ER, 3H, 4BB, 11K) Tuesday, March 28 GIANTS 6, CARDINALS 0 GIANTS: Aiden Reeder, Andrew Stiles, Caleb Wiley, and Mark Perdue each had a double. Mark Perdue (4 IP, 0R, 1H, 5BB, 6K) CARDS: Julian Herndon one hit TIGERS 11, TWINS 3 TIGERS: Graham Hilburn, James Foster, Ethan Newby (3 RBI), Brody Carver (2 RBI). Graham Hilburn (4 IP, 3R, 2ER, 0H, 6BB, 9K) TWINS: Gabe Wade, Shawn Davis, Koby Reagan one run each. Wednesday, March 29 ATHLETICS 8, CUBS 1 A’s: Landon O’Neal one hit, two RBIs; Hayden Blalock one hit, one RBI; Thomas Wells one hit. Dawson Craig (5 IP, 1R, 0ER, 0H, 1BB, 8K) CUBS: Corey Brookshire (2.2 IP, 4R, 1ER, 1H, 2BB, 7K) METS 7, BRAVES 7 METS: Jake Crapps one hit, two RBIs. Jake Crapps (3 IP, 3R, 1ER, 2H, 2BB, 7K) BRAVES: Brice Craig home run, two RBIs; Erich Wilburn triple, RBI. Brice Craig (1.2 IP, 2R, 0ER, 1H, 4BB, 2K), Conner Lujan (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 2K) CURRENT STANDINGS Bartow County LL - Major (thru April 1) TEAM . . . . . . .W-L-T Athletics . . . . . .2-0 Giants . . . . . . . 2-0 Orioles . . . . . . .1-0 Braves . . . . . . .1-0-1 Cubs . . . . . . . . 1-1 Tigers . . . . . . . .1-1 Mets . . . . . . . . .0-1-1 Rangers . . . . . .0-1 Twins . . . . . . . . 0-2 Cardinals . . . . . 0-2

The Georgia Highlands College softball team won their Saturday contest against the Brewton-Parker JV in Mount Vernon, Georgia. The Chargers pounded out 12 hits in an 11-3 win ended by mercy, run-rule in six innings. Andria Booth, Hannah Wills, and Carlee Thurmond led the way offensively for the Chargers. Booth was 3-for-4 on the day with a run scored and two RBIs; Wills was 2-for-3 with a double, run scored, sac fly, and 2 RBIs; Thurmond added a double, a walk, was hit by a pitch, scored three runs, and drove in a pair. Brianna Fickes also hit her 14th home run of the season bringing her career record to 27. Evan Hall (photo right) earned the pitching win with a complete game in the circle. Hall allowed three runs, only one earned, on six hits. She fanned five. The Chargers were able to mix up the defense and get athletes reps at multiple positions. GHC is now 31-9 on the season and with each win extends their school record for wins in a season. The Chargers return to conference competition Friday and Saturday when the team heads south to play double-headers at Andrew College and ABAC.

The Georgia Highlands College baseball team split a doubleheader Saturday at LakePoint with visiting Andrew College in a pair of one-run games. The Chargers won 3-2 and the Tigers won 6-5. Tyler Sellers picked up a pitching win for the Chargers with two scoreless innings of relief work. Colby Taylor started and went four innings without a decision, but limited Andrew to a pair of runs on five hits and a walk. Britt Buckelew earned a save with a shutout seventh inning. Nick Piccapietra had three hits for the Chargers in their win. Devin Bilardello, John White, and Caleb McElwaney had the GHC RBIs. The Chargers took a 4-3 lead to the final inning of their loss, but the Tigers scored three runs in the seventh to take a 6-4 lead. Georgia Highlands scored a run in the bottom of the seventh and had the tying run at third, but could not push that run across. White had two hits, including a double and two RBIs in the one-run loss. Grant Bodison also had a pair of hits that included a double. Nick Fink and Matt Vaccaro hit home runs. The two teams split their four-game conference series during the week with each team winning twice. Andrew is not 20-18 overall and 5-3 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association. Georgia Highlands (24-13, 4-4) opens a four-game, conference series Tuesday at LakePoint with South Georgia State CC. The final three games will be played Friday and Saturday at South Georgia State in Douglas, GA.

Adairsville swept a non-region doubleheader Saturday at Armuchee winning 15-0 in five innings and 10-7. Caden Gibbs picked up the pitching win in the 10-7 victory in relief of starter Taylor Whitley. Kyler Pelfrey pitched a spotless seventh for a save. Garrett Mishoe was credited with the win on the mound in the shutout. He and Chase Powell combined for a two hitter, allowing one hit each. Powell had a pair of strikeouts in two innings of work. Mishoe fanned seven in three innings. Sam Seaman and Caden Gibbs had four hits each for the Tigers in the doubleheader. Seaman scored four runs, drove in four runs and stole two bases. His four hits included a double and a triple. Gibbs’ four safeties included a double, two runs scored, five RBIs, and a stolen base. Corey Nation had three hits on the day including a double, four runs scored, one RBI and a stolen base. Pelfrey (triple, two RBIs, two stolen bases, three runs) , Hunter Hice (double, RBI, three runs scored), and Landon Ayers (double, two runs scored) had two hits each. Levi Atkinson, Whitley, B.J. Roper (RBI), Michael Cook (double, two RBIs), Noah Dutton, Mishoe, and Justin Green had one hit apiece. Dylan Hightower, Isaac Moore, Cody Henderson, and Halen Huskins contributed RBIs. Armuchee falls to 5-10 with the two losses. Adairsville (8-12, 3-6 Region 6AAA) plays three region games next week. The Tigers host Ringgold Tuesday at 5:55pm. They travel to North Murray Thursday at 5:55pm, and entertain Coahulla Creek Friday at 5:55pm.

Central-Phenix City (AL) scored five runs in their final two frames Saturday to upend visiting Cartersville, 7-6. Cartersville led 6-2 through five innings and 6-5 going to the bottom of the seventh, but saw that lead get away. Central-Phenix City scored their seventh inning runs on three singles, a fielder’s choice, a walk, and a catcher’s interference call that resulted in the game-winning run off relief pitcher Anthony Seigler. The Canes utilized three pitchers across the first six frames. Jake Gooch (3 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 4K), Levi Ayers (1 IP, 2ER, 3H, 1BB), and Spencer Dickey (2 IP, 3R, 0ER, 2H, 0BB) combined for the first six innings. Evan Baber was the seventh inning pitcher for Central-Phenix City and picked up the win with one shutout inning of relief. Dalton Wilder started for the Red Devils and gave up six runs on seven hits. Gage Dollar worked shutout innings in the fifth and sixth for Central. Tanner Belcher and Baber had two hits each for the Red Devils. Alex Baker drove in two runs with a hit. Wade Chandler also finished with a pair of RBIs. Preston Welchel, Devin Warner, and Dickey (L-R photos below) all hit home runs for the Hurricanes. Welchel hit a solo shot in the third inning. Dickey’s three-run blast came in the fourth to put the Canes ahead 4-0. Warner hit a two-run homer in the fifth to give Cartersville a 6-2 lead. Noah Daniel had two hits, including a double. Seigler, J.P. Martin, and Jacob Fowler each contributed hits for the Canes. Central improved to 15-10 for the year. Cartersville (15-6 overall, 5-2 Region 5AAAA) will compete in the six-team Perfect Game Rawlings Select Classic #3 at LakePoint in Emerson next week. The Hurricanes play Walnut Grove Thursday on Field 13 at 3:30pm and Dunwoody Friday at 3:30pm on Field 9. Outcomes in those two games will determine the remainder of the Canes’ schedule in the tournament. Cartersville will return to Region 5AAAA play Tuesday, April 11 at Richard Bell Field against Chapel Hill.

Georgia Highlands College was tied 2-2 with Andrew College Friday night going to the bottom of the sixth when Nick Piccapietra delivered an RBI double and Devin Bilardello followed with a two-run homer over the left field wall to give the Chargers a 5-2 lead that held up down the stretch at LakePoint. Georgia Highlands and Andrew have split the first two games of a four-game series that concludes Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled for 1pm at LakePoint in Emerson. Andrew won the first game of the series Tuesday in Cuthbert, 6-1. Matthew Norton tossed seven strong innings for GHC in Friday’s start. He scattered five hits, five walks, and fanned seven. Britt Buckelew earned a save with a clean final two innings. Andrew College is now 19-17 overall and 4-2 in Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association games. GHC evened its conference mark at 3-3 and is 23-12 overall.

Taylor Whitley singled, doubled, tripled, and drove in three runs to help lead the Adairsville Tigers past Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe Friday night at home in a Region 6AAA battle, 6-4. Adairsville pitcher Sam Seaman (6 IP, 4ER, 6H, 5BB, 9K) went six innings to notch the victory. Caden Gibbs (0.2 IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB) recorded the final two outs in the seventh inning to earn a save. The Warriors led 1-0 after one inning, but Adairsville tied the game 1-1 in the second. LFO regained a 2-1 advantage in the top of the third before the Tigers took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Adairsville added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth for a 6-2 lead. LFO scored twice in the top of the seventh for a 6-4 final score. Dylan Hightower had two hits and scored a run for Adairsville. Noah Dutton, Kyler Pelfrey (double, RBI), and Seaman had the other Tigers’ hits. Whitley, Hightower, and Dutton each stole a base. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe is now 10-10 overall and 3-6 in Region 6AAA. Adairsville (6-12, 3-6) has a doubleheader Saturday at Armuchee and will return to region play Tuesday by hosting Ringgold.

Jacob Frye, Cauy Williams, and Noah Ludy combined to drive in ten runs Friday night as Woodland handled visiting Villa Rica in five innings, 15-5. The Wildcats broke open a 1-1 game with a seven-run bottom of the second inning. Villa Rica scored four in the top of the third to narrow the Woodland lead to 8-5, but the home Wildcats matched those four runs in the bottom of the third and never looked back. Woodland doubled Villa Rica in hits, twelve to six. Williams earned the pitching win with a run-rule, shortened complete game. None of the runs against him was earned. He allowed five hits and a walk and recorded eight strikeouts in five innings. Villa Rica used four pitchers with Nick Corkill taking the loss. Parker Wells finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Villa Rica. Frye led Woodland with a 3-for-3 performance that included two doubles, a walk, three runs scored, and four RBIs. Ludy had two hits, including a homer and three RBIs. Williams (photo right) finished with a double and three RBIs. Emmanuel Jones (double), Jacob Harper (RBI), Dylan Webb, Koby Stansel, Hunter Reaid (RBI), and Garrett Cornett (2 RBIs) had the other Woodland hits. Villa Rica is now 10-7 overall and 4-3 in Region 7AAAAA. Woodland (11-8, 2-5) plays at Villa Rica to conclude the series Monday at 5:55pm and will host Paulding County Wednesday at 5:55pm. PHOTO CREDIT: TC Pics Photography / Susan and Travis Cochran

The Cartersville Hurricanes opened up a tight game with a five-run fourth inning Friday night in an 8-3 Region 5AAAA win at Sandy Creek. Sophomore pitcher Mason Barnett (photo left) tossed a complete-game to earn the win on the mound. Cartersville scored single runs in the first two innings and the host Patriots scored single runs in the first and third innings for a 2-2 tie heading into the fourth inning. Singles by Devin Warner and Jake Gooch started the Hurricanes’ fourth inning. J.P. Martin was hit by a pitch to load the bases and the first run of the frame came across following a walk to Jacob Fowler. Spencer Dickey drove a single into centerfield for an RBI, Mason Barnett walked for an RBI, and Fowler also scored in the inning. The Canes added an insurance run in the sixth off a sac fly by Anthony Seigler that scored Dickey. Sandy Creek posted a single run in the bottom of the seventh, but got no closer. Barnett worked one of his best performances of the year from the bump. The sophomore scattered six hits and two walks. He fanned nine Patriots and only two of the three runs against him were earned. Sandy Creek used a trio of pitchers with starter Ty Peavy taking the loss. Cartersville led 1-0 in the first on a solo home run by Warner (photo right) and took a 2-1 lead in the second when Seigler’s RBI double scored courtesy runner, John Reed Evans. Evans was running for Barnett who was hit by a pitch. Preston Welchel had a sacrifice bunt in the inning to advance the runner to scoring position. The Canes out hit the Patriots eleven to six. Markell Graham was the only Sandy Creek player with two hits. For Cartersville, Dickey finished with three hits, two runs scored, and one RBI. Warner had a three hit game including his dinger and he stole a base. Noah Daniel had two hits. Seigler (2 RBIs), Gooch, and Martin had one hit each. Sandy Creek falls to 12-10 overall and 2-6 in Region 5AAAA with the loss. Cartersville (15-5, 5-2) plays a non-region game at Central-Phenix City, AL Saturday at 11am. PHOTO CREDITS: Tonsmeire Studios / Louis Tonsmeire