The Cartersville Hurricanes boys tennis team lost to North Hall Thursday in the Class AAAA quarterfinals at Dellinger Park. The Canes went to the wire with the visiting Trojans but came up just short, 3-2. While the North Hall team was made up of mostly seniors, including all three singles lines, the more youthful Canes held their own. The Cartersville team had one freshman and six sophomores in the lineup. Will Allen won for Cartersville at the No. 3 singles line and the No. 2 doubles tandem of Ivy Nelson and Juan Zazueta also picked up a win. Allen won 6-2, 6-3. Nelson and Zazueta were 6-4, 6-2 victors. Although the playoff run by the Canes ended with an Elite Eight loss, the Cartersville boys finished their season 13-5 and won Region 7-AAAA. North Hall advances to face Marist in the Class AAAA semifinals.

Gordon State College took control in the middle innings Thursday afternoon on their way to a 10-3 conference defeat of visiting Georgia Highlands. The win was the second straight for the Highlanders over Georgia Highlands. Gordon State took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth and pushed it to 10-1 until the Chargers added a pair of runs in the top of the ninth. Crandall Poore got the job done on the mound for the Highlanders. He tossed a complete game scattering 10 Chargers’ hits with no walks. Poore struck out seven. Chase Suddith, Jordan Howard, Randall Heller, and Ty Hobbs combined for 11 hits and six RBI to lead the Gordon State offense. Brandon Etheridge and Nick Fink (RBI) led the Chargers with two hits each. One of Etheridge’s safeties was a triple. Brandon Bell (RBI), Zach McCrum, Jonathan White, Mitch Burger, Evan Mask, and Devin Bilardello added one hit each for Georgia Highlands. Tanner Thomson (5 IP, 3ER, 7H, 1BB, 3K) suffered the pitching loss for GHC. Tristan Roberts (3 IP, 6ER, 8H, 1BB, 2K) pitched in relief for the Chargers. Gordon improved to 26-24 overall and 11-11 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association with the victory. Georgia Highlands slips to 24-26 overall and 9-13 in conference play. The Chargers will look to earn a series split Saturday as the series continues at Gordon State with a doubleheader at noon.

The Cartersville girls tennis team lost to Buford 3-2 Wednesday in the quarterfinal round of the Class AAAA state playoffs at Dellinger Park. Emma McCary won her match on the No. 1 singles line and Kenly King won the No. 3 singles line for the Lady Canes. Buford advances to the state semifinals to face the winner of the quarterfinal match between North Hall and Marist. The Lady Canes soccer team lost in the opening round of the Class AAAA state playoffs Wednesday evening to visiting Grady, 3-0. Grady led 2-0 at the intermission and added a third goal in the game’s 47th minute. The Lady Canes finished their season with a 10-8 record and were the Region 7-AAAA runner-up. Grady, the third seed from Region 6-AAAA, improved to 11-4-2 and advances to play Region 3-AAAA champion, Windsor Forest, in the second round.

All the schedules and standings for Spring 2016 sports with the Bartow County Recreation Department are available online at the following LINK. BCRD currently has youth soccer, softball, and baseball competing in a wide range of age groups. See this LINK to access each age groups schedules and standings.

Georgia Highlands College lost the opener of a four-game series with Gordon State College Tuesday night at LakePoint, 16-8. The visiting Highlanders struck for eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings combined to grab an early 8-0 lead, but the Chargers did not go away. GHC responded with a seven-run sixth inning to cut the lead to 8-7, but that would be as close as the Chargers would come. Gordon State added four runs in the seventh inning and four more in the ninth to put the game away. The Chargers added a final run in the eighth. The middle of the Highlanders’ order did the bulk of the damage for Gordon State. Aubrey McCarty, Ty Hobbs, and Ryan Young combined for eight hits that included a pair of homers, four doubles, and nine RBI. GHC starting pitcher, Daniel Gooden, suffered the pitching loss and was lifted after 4 and 1/3 innings. The Chargers also used Jack McClure, Nick Constan, Dalton Isley, Chris Morton, Sean Wilson, and Bradley Hood in relief. The Georgia Highlands’ offense produced thirteen hits. Jonathan White had three hits. Brandon Bell (3 RBI), Brandon Etheridge, Nick Fink, and Mitch Burger (RBI) finished with two hits each. Devin Bilardello (RBI) and Zach McCrum had the other Chargers’ safeties. Joel Munoz added one RBI. With their win, Gordon State (25-24 overall) moves into sole possesion of fourth place in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association standings with a 10-11 conference mark. Georgia Highlands (24-25, 9-12) continues the series in Barnesville with a single game Thursday afternoon and a doubleheader on Saturday.

Cartersville’s Sam Howard ran into a bit of a rough patch in the fifth inning Tuesday night in his fourth start for the Modesto Nuts of the Class A-Advanced California League. The Visalia Rawhides struck for three runs, including a two-run, two-out homer by Rudy Flores off the 23-year-old southpaw. Howard, a third year pro in the Colorado Rockies’ organization, allowed four runs on six hits and a pair of walks in five innings pitched at Visalia. Howard struck out six. He left the game with the score tied 4-4 to receive no decision, but Modesto lost to the division leading Rawhides 5-4 in the tenth inning. For the season, Howard is 1-0 in 20 and 1/3 innings pitched. He has 25 strikeouts and a 3.10 ERA. Modesto, trailing Visalia by four games in the standings, continues a three-game series with the Rawhides April 27 and 28. Howard’s next start in the Nuts’ rotation will likely come at home early next week against the Lake Elsinore Storm, an affiliate of the Angels organization.

2016 Cartersville Little League (Major League) standings, upcoming schedule, and game capsules for April 12. Standings updated through April 26. SCORES Monday, April 25 Tigers 10, Crackers 4 Braves 9, Indians 5 Dodgers 8, Padres 5 Phillies 6, Colts 4 UPCOMING SCHEDULE Wednesday, April 27 5:45 - JFH - Indians v. Braves 5:45 - RY - Crackers v. Tigers Thursday, April 28 5:45 - JFH - Colts v. Phillies 5:45 - RY - Padres v. Dodgers Game Capsules for Major League games played April 12 Braves 5 Dodgers 2 Braves Hitters Caleb Daniel 3-3 with R, 2 RBI Jake Lawson 2-3 with 2B, 2 R, RBI Miles Owen 1-2 Nickolas Hruby 1-3 with 2B Joshua Clay 1-3 Chris Roper 1-4 with R Braves Pitchers Jake Lawson 5 2/3 innings allowing 2 R, 2 ER with 2 H, 2 BB, 8 K Miles Owen 1/3 innings allowing 0 R, 0 ER with 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K Dodgers Hitters Silas Freeman 1-2 with 2B Jaylen Benham 1-2 with BB, R Drew Rothschild 1-2 Tyler Taylor 1-2 Banks Wilson 1-3 with R Dodgers Pitchers Evan Sanders 2 2/3 innings allowing 4 R, 4 ER with 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K Philip Schiltz 2 1/3 innings allowing 1 R, 1 ER with 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K Drew Rothschild 2/3 innings allowing 0 R, 0 ER with 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K Banks Wilson 1/3 innings allowing 0 R, 0 ER with 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K Tigers 11 Phillies 3 Tigers Hitters Gavin Shrewsbury 3-4 with 3B, 2 R, RBI Jake Parker 2-4 with 2 2B, 2 R, RBI Kace Adams 2-4 with 3 R Jake Wehunt 1-4 with HR, 2 R, 4 RBI Jacob Evans 1-4 with R, 2 RBI Jack Whitley 1-4 with RBI Tigers Pitchers Jake Parker 1 1/3 innings allowing 2 R, 2 ER with 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K Jacob Evans 3 2/3 innings allowing 0 R, 0 ER with 0 H, 3 BB, 9 K Kace Adams 1 inning allowing 1 R, 0 ER with 0 H, 3 BB, 0 K Phillies Hitters Hunter Cochran 1-1 with 2B, BB, R, RBI Phillies Pitchers Luke Gambill 5 innings allowing 8 R, 4 ER with 7 H, 1 BB, 7 K Elliott Eastin 1 inning allowing 3 R, 0 ER with 3 H, 0 BB, 2 K Crackers 5 Colts 3 Crackers Hitters Jaylon Akins 1-2 with 2B, BB, R, RBI Thomas Norris 1-3 with 2B, R, RBI Issac Seigler 1-3 with 2B, RBI Tyler Shelton 1-3 with 2B, R Easton Elrod 1-3 Crackers Pitchers Tyler Shelton 4 innings allowing 3 R, 3 ER with 4 H, 2 BB, 7 K Drake Carver 2 innings allowing 0 R, 0 ER with 0 H, 1 BB, 4 K Colts Hitters Brody Tidwell 2-3 with R Jackson Rutledge 1-3 with R Nick Kennedy 1-1with 3B, BB, RBI Colts Pitchers Blake Sutton 3 1/3 innings allowing 5 R, 3 ER with 3 H, 4 BB, 2 K Tate Smith 2 2/3 innings allowing 0 R, 0 ER with 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K Padres 6 Indians 3 Padres Hitters Ernesto Cortes 3-3 with 2 2B, 3B, R, 4 RBI Collin Fletcher 1-2 with BB, R Sam Phillips 1-3 with 2B, 2 R, RBI Billy Ford 1-3 with R Padres Pitchers Ernesto Cortes 7 innings allowing 3 R, 3 ER with 5 H, 3 BB, 12 K Indians Hitters Harrison Childers 2-3 with R, RBI Noah Ford 1-2 with RBI Trip Bradley 1-3 with 2B, R Hunter Kelly 1-3 with R Indians Pitchers Noah Ford 4 innings allowing 3 R, 0 ER with 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K Harrison Childers 2 innings allowing 0 R, 0 ER with 0 H, 1 BB, 2 K Trip Bradley 1/3 innings allowing 3 R, 3 ER with 2 H, 1 BB, 0 K Game capsules provided by Cartersville Little League

The Cartersville boys soccer team fell to Grady Tuesday evening in the opening round of the Class AAAA state playoffs. The 1-1 game through regulation and overtime went all the way to PKs where Grady won 4-3. Grady scored its goal in regulation with approximately 17 minutes remaining on a penalty kick, but the Canes answered with a tying goal with less than 10 minutes remaining. Cartersville’s Pedro Robledo converted on a penalty kick to tie the game after Houston Reed was taken down in the penalty box. The game came down to a final PK by Grady. Reed, Osbaldo Senderos, and Cesar Abeja made PKs for Cartersville, but Grady converted on four of five shots, including their final attempt, for the victory. Grady advances to the second round where they will play at Region 2AAAA champ, Veterans. The Canes’ season concludes with a 12-5-1 mark. The Lady Canes host Grady Wednesday night in their opening round game.

The Georgia Highlands softball team split a doubleheader with visiting Chattanooga State CC Monday in a final non-conference tune-up before the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association begins Thursday. Chattanooga State took a 6-1 lead into the seventh inning and held on for a 6-5 win in the opener, then the Chargers won the second game in a wild, 16-15 shootout. Ashley Jordan went 3-for-4 with one RBI in the first game. Kaleigh Mobley added a 2-for-2 performance and scored a run. Shannon Plese had three hits including a double and drove in a run for Chattanooga State. Madison Kurtz drove in two runs and Lillie McCrary had two hits and one RBI for the visitors. Labrisha Washington was the winning pitcher for the Lady Tigers with a complete game. She allowed 10 hits, two earned runs, and struck out six. In the nightcap, the Chargers took a 9-4 lead through three innings, but Chattanooga State scored 11 runs over the next two innings to take a 15-9 lead. GHC bounced back with a six-run sixth to tie and scored a run in the bottom of the seventh on a walk-off base on balls to Andria Booth for a 16-15 win. Carlee Thurmond went 4-for-4 with three doubles and seven RBI to lead the Chargers’ attack. Ashley Jordan had three hits and scored a run. Lauren Womack had two hits and one RBI. Booth had a hit, three walks, three RBI, and a stolen base. Kayla Street (3 IP, 4ER, 5H, 2BB, 2K) picked up the pitching victory for the Chargers with three innings of relief. Georgia Highlands (25-31 overall, 7-7 GCAA) opens play in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association championship tournament on Thursday. The 4th-seeded Chargers play 5th-seeded East Georgia in the first round at 1pm. The winner plays again Thursday at 5pm against top-seeded South Georgia State CC. The tournament is hosted by Gordon College and is being played at Strong Rock Christian School in Locust Grove. The tournament continues through Saturday (see bracket below).

Former Cartersville Hurricanes’ and Georgia Southern Eagles’ pitcher, Sam Howard, is off to a tremendous start with his new team. Howard, now with the Modesto Nuts of the Class A Advanced California League, has started three games with a 1-0 record in 15 and 1/3 innings of work. The 23-year-old lefty has struck out 19 and walked seven with opponents hitting only .145 against him. His 0.98 WHIP is also an impressive, early season number. Howard, a third round pick by the Colorado Rockies in 2014, was assigned to Modesto this season after spending the 2015 campaign with the Asheville Tourists. Modesto has started the season with an 8-9 record and trails Visalia (Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate) by three games in the California League’s North Division. Howard’s most recent start was April 20 at home against Bakersfield. He pitched 5 and 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, scattering three hits, two walks, and a hit batsman with seven strikeouts in a no decision. The Nuts eventually won the game, 1-0, with a run in the seventh inning. YouTube video of that performance from PurpleRowSBN: (Video footage from Colorado Rockies minor league LHP Sam Howard's start for the Modesto Nuts on April 20, 2016 against the Bakersfield Blaze at John Thurman Field in Modesto.) Modesto travels for a three-game series with the division leading Visalia Rawhides April 26-28 where Howard is due his next start in the Nuts' rotation.

The Cartersville girls and boys tennis teams advanced to the state quarterfinals of the Class AAAA playoffs Monday with 5-0 victories. The girls team defeated Mary Persons and the boys swept past Perry. The Lady Canes will now face Buford at home in the quarterfinal round. The Canes’ next opponent will be either North Hall or Eagles’ Landing. Playing dates are yet to be determined, but must be completed by April 30. LADY CANES 5, MARY PERSONS 0 Singles 1 — Emma McCary won 6-0, 6-0 2 — Ansley Thompson won 6-0, 6-0 3 — Kenly King won 6-0, 6-0 Doubles 1 — Kendyl Westmoreland / Jordan Ross won 6-0, 6-1 2 — Kindra Woodman / Taylor Riddle won 6-2, 6-1 CANES 5, PERRY 0 Singles 1 — Matthew Slocum won 6-3, 6-4 2 — Davis Edwards won 6-4, 6-1 3 — Will Allen won 6-0, 6-0 Doubles 1 — Russell Mathison / Ross Norwood won 6-3, 6-1 2 — Juan Zazueta / Ivy Nelson won 6-0, 6-0

The Adairsville girls tennis team had its record-setting season come to a close Monday afternoon with a 3-2 loss at Peach County in the second round of the Class AAA state playoffs. “Kylee McCauley played great,” Adairsville head coach Brett Tolbert said. “She played her best match of the year.” McCauley, playing on the No. 1 singles line, dispatched of her opponent in straight sets. “The No. 2 doubles team played great too,” noted Tolbert. “It’s a sad end to a history making season, but a great building block for the program.” With their victory, Peach County advances to face Central of Carrollton in the state quarterfinals later this week. PEACH COUNTY 3, ADAIRSVILLE 2 SINGLES 1 — Kylee McCauley (AHS) d. Jessica Estrada (PC) 6-4, 6-2. 2 — Alexandria Estradal (PC) d, Abby Asbridge (AHS) 7-6, 6-0. 3 — Ashley Etheridge (PC) d. Hannah Adcock (AHS) 6-1, 6-0. DOUBLES 1 — Arlett Rodriguez and Lizbeth Rodriguez (PC) d. Cali Mealer and Chloe Powell (AHS) 6-1, 2-6, 6-0. 2 — Makenzie Davis and Molly Smith (AHS) d. Emily Coon and Kayla Stelzer (PC) 6-0, 6-1