July 29, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The 2025 Little League Baseball Southeast Region Tournament begins Thursday in Warner Robins with Cartersville Little League 12U participating as the Georgia state champions. The eight-team, double-elimination tournament runs through Tuesday, August 5, at Southeast Park located at 439 Snellgrove Drive. Admission to all games is free, and games will be televised on ESPN+ and ESPN. The action gets underway at 10 a.m. on Thursday with Lake Mary (Florida) facing Nolensville (Tennessee). Lake Norman Little League of Huntersville, North Carolina, plays Jefferson County Little League from Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia, at 1 p.m. Cartersville Little League squares off with Irmo (South Carolina) Little League in a 4 p.m. start on Thursday, and Phenix City (Alabama) Little League takes on Front Royal (Virginia) Little League in the fourth game of the day at 7 p.m. There will be four games on Friday, including two elimination games and two more on Saturday to narrow the field to its final four teams. The semifinals will take place on Sunday, with the championship round scheduled to begin on Monday. If a second championship round game is needed, it will be played on Tuesday, August 5. Cartersville Little League 12U went 4-0 in the Georgia state tournament July 12-17 and was 4-0 in the District 1 tournament in late June.

July 29, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Old Toccoa Farms in Mineral Bluff Cartersville amateur golfer, R.B. Clyburn, reached the quarterfinals but was eliminated on Tuesday afternoon at the Georgia State Golf Association’s 106th Match Play Championship. The tournament is being hosted by Old Toccoa Farm in Mineral Bluff and conducted on its 6,655-yard, par 72 layout. The 64-man field was determined through player exemptions and qualifying at five separate sites across Georgia on June 16 through July 14. Clyburn, the defending champion, won his opening four-man pod on Sunday and Monday with three straight victories to reach the final 16 bracket. He had pod wins over Cumming’s Pride Dyer 6&5, Jackson Cross of Sugar Hill 4&3, and Zachary Wiley of Statham 5&4.  Seeded No. 1 in the final bracket, Clyburn opened the Round of 16 with a 2&1 victory over Logan Skaggs of Sandy Springs. In the quarterfinals, he fell to eighth-seeded Tyler Latimer of Canton 1-up in 18 holes.  Lee Bowman, a Cartersville Country Club member from Atlanta, won two of three matches in his four-man pod but was eliminated due to a head-to-head loss to Trey Schmidt of Cumming. Bowman defeated Jimmy Coleman of Cumming, 4&3, and topped Will Sutton of Fayetteville 2&1. His loss to Schmidt was 5&3. The semifinals on Wednesday morning will feature Alpharetta’s Bob Royak against Latimer and Andy Scott of Johns Creek against Chris Waters of Evans. The championship match will be played on Wednesday afternoon.

July 29, 2025 2025 local high school football previews:  Adairsville Tigers Bartow Sports Zone is featuring each of the four local high school football programs this week with previews of the 2025 teams. Each local head coach responded to a questionnaire. Head Coach Jon Cudd Adairsville head football coach Jon Cudd Jon Cudd begins his fourth season as a head coach at Adairsville after serving as an assistant coach. His head coaching record at Adairsville is 24-10 and includes back-to-back region titles in 2022 and 2023. The Tigers have appeared in the state playoffs in each of their previous three seasons, falling in the second round in 2022 and the first round in the past two seasons. Adairsville was 6-5 last season and 3-3 in Region 7-AAA. They had non-region wins over Allatoona (28-27), Pepperell (31-14), and Woodland (44-14). The region wins last season were over LaFayette (44-13), Ridgeland (34-7), and Gilmer (28-0). The Tigers this summer In June, we practiced from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., including our weight program, SAQ, plyometrics, conditioning, and field work.  We did a couple of 7-on-7s and one camp at a University. July is Monday through Thursday with weights, SAQ, and plyos, conditioning, field work, and an organized team activity. What are your expected numbers for the 2025 season? We have about 85 players this year. Have you added any new coaches for 2025? What are their primary responsibilities? We brought Robbie Stone back up from our middle school program to help with the offensive line. Have the position assignments/coaching roles changed for any staff members retained from last year’s staff? None When is your official preseason scrimmage with another school? We will play at Cartersville on August 8. As head coach at Adairsville, what accomplishment for the program or development within the program makes you most proud? Winning the second of the back-to-back region championships in 2023. I’m also proud of the development of our athletes in our weight program. Who are the Tigers to watch on offense in 2025? Colt Sanford — Colt Sanford, WR, 2026, has great ball skills and is a returning two-way starter with offers from Reinhardt and Sewanee. — Westin Crisp, WR, 2026, is a returning starter who had some big plays down the stretch for us last year. He has offers from Tuskegee, Howard, and Sewanee. — Barrett Fuller, TE, 2026, a returning starter with offers from Reinhardt, Shorter, Tuskegee, and Sewanee. — Zeek Carter, RB, 2028 — Jayvian Carson, RB, 2028 — CJ Gardner, OL, 2026, returning starter — Archer Dasinger, OL, 2026, returning starter Barrett Fuller Who are your defensive players to watch in 2025? — Xai Gilbert, S, 2026, a transfer from Sonoraville with offers from Kennesaw State, Coastal Carolina, Toledo, Murray State, Stony Brook, North Alabama, Eastern Kentucky, and Tennessee State. — We have a ton of newcomers we are excited about, especially at linebacker and on our defensive front. Which players are competing to be your specialists? (kickoffs, punting, PAT, FG, kick returners, punt returners) Cooper Souders Cooper Souders is back as our kicker. Westin Crisp is back as our kick returner, and we have a competition to take over as our punter this year. What do you see as the strengths of this year’s team? This is a coachable group, and we have some depth on defense. What are the primary challenges for this year’s team? We will see how quickly this team can grow. We have a bunch of newcomers who haven’t played many varsity snaps. Briefly, share your thoughts on the non-region portion of your schedule. We are playing four teams from larger classifications, counting our scrimmage, plus a Pepperell team that will be better with a lot of returning players. We will have to grow up quickly because these teams are all expecting better seasons this year. Based on your knowledge of returning players, etc, which teams are your region’s top contenders for playoff berths? Calhoun, Northwest Whitfield, and Gilmer return a lot of really good players. The other schools in our region have some solid players coming back as well. What are your general expectations for 2025, and any other thoughts you would like to share? This group has had a sense of “togetherness” that has developed over the last couple of years. If they can continue to compete and hold each other accountable, I believe we will surprise some people. 2025 schedule (Home games in CAPS) Friday, August 8 — Scrimmage at Cartersville Friday, August 15 — at Allatoona Friday, August 22 — PEPPERELL Friday, August 29 — CASS Friday, September 5 — WOODLAND Friday, September 19 — at LaFayette Friday, September 26 — CALHOUN Friday, October 10 — at Ridgeland Friday, October 17 — NORTHWEST WHITFIELD Friday, October 24 — at Gilmer Friday, October 31 — HERITAGE-CATOOSA

July 29, 2025 2025 local high school football previews:  Woodland Wildcats Bartow Sports Zone is featuring each of the four local high school football programs this week with previews of the 2025 teams. Each local head coach responded to a questionnaire. Head Coach Andy Scott Head coach Andy Scott Andy Scott begins his 16th season as a head coach in Georgia and his second at the helm of the Wildcats. Scott was the head coach at Perry (2005-2009), Kennesaw Mountain (2012-2017), and LaFayette (2021-2023) prior to his current position. He is 59-97 as a head coach and guided three Perry teams to the state playoffs in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The 2007 team reached the state quarterfinals. Woodland was 3-7 last season with wins over Woodland-Stockbridge (38-35), Southeast Whitfield (43-10), and a Region 7-AAAA victory over Dalton (20-17). The Wildcats in July We are normally in the weight room from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m., then head to the field for a 2-½ hour practice. We did a 7-on-7 camp earlier in the month and traveled to Northwest Whitfield on July 15-16 for a padded camp. We started mandatory conditioning week on July 21. What are your expected numbers for the 2025 season? We have 80 players in grades 9 through 12. Have you added any new coaches for 2025? What are their primary responsibilities? Jamie Stiltz and Eric Bailey have been added to the staff. Coach Stiltz will coach our linebackers and will be our special teams coordinator. Coach Bailey will coach our corners. Have the position assignments/coaching roles changed for any staff members retained from last year’s staff? No changes, just the additions. We did have one coach — BJ Lock — leave to be closer to home. He helped coach our offensive line. Nick Shields remains our primary offensive line coach. When is your official preseason scrimmage with another school? We will play South Cobb on Friday, August 8. As head coach at Woodland, what accomplishment for the program or development within the program makes you most proud? It was important that we won two of our last three games last season. Our players really got better throughout the year, and we began our off-season program the Monday after we played Dalton. We had a great off-season and a great Spring practice session. The Summer has been really good as well, with lots of positives. We just really need to keep it going as we move into the Fall. Who are the Wildcats to watch on offense in 2025? Solomon James Sophomore running back Solomon James is going to be a great one, and sophomore quarterback Sam Ray is going to be great as well. Senior Korbyn Jarrett is a tight end/H-back who has offers from Sewanee and Reinhardt University. Who are your defensive players to watch in 2025? Defensive end Cam Collins was a 1st Team All-Region selection as a junior, and he has an offer from Sewanee. I expect him to have an outstanding senior season. Defensive back Cam Broome has really put himself in line as the leader of the defense, and Peyton Young is only a sophomore, but he will be a great one at linebacker. Which players are competing to be your specialists? (kickoffs, punting, PAT, FG, kick returners, punt returners) Justin Abarca is a sophomore who excelled last year on the JV, and we are looking for him to step up. What do you see as the strengths of this year’s team? Our biggest strengths are our overall team speed and strength. We have become better in the weight room, and it is evident in how we play. We are more physical than last year, and we hope that will translate into more wins. What are the primary challenges for this year’s team? Our biggest concern is the depth of our region. Every team is going to be good. It is our responsibility to maximize our talent and work our way into a playoff spot. Briefly, share your thoughts on the non-region portion of your schedule. Our non-region schedule includes a much-improved Woodland-Stockbridge team. We also play Woodstock — a team that surprised many people last year, and a very talented Adairsville team. Our goal is to use these non-region games to help us prepare for our tough region schedule. Based on your knowledge of returning players, etc, which teams are your region’s top contenders for playoff berths? Cartersville has to be the favorite, in my opinion. You can then throw everyone else in a hat and pick. Cass, Cedartown, and Hiram will be good as always. Both Allatoona and Dalton had a down year last season, but they are improving as well, so we shall see. What are your general expectations for 2025, and any other thoughts you would like to share? We expect to have a winning season, and making the playoffs would be a huge accomplishment for this program and the school. We have not done that since 1999. Friday, August 8 -- Scrimmage at South Cobb Friday, August 15 -- WOODLAND-STOCKBRIDGE Friday, August 22 -- at Woodstock Friday, September 5 -- at Adairsville Friday, September 19 -- at Cartersville Friday, September 26 -- CASS Friday, October 3 -- at Allatoona Friday, October 10 -- at Hiram Friday, October 17 -- SOUTHEAST WHITFIELD Friday, October 24 -- CEDARTOWN Friday, October 31 -- DALTON

July 28, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Cartersville professional golfer Buck Brumlow made his first cut as a pro on the PGA Tour Americas circuit, and former Canes’ baseball standout Anthony Seigler made three more starts for the Milwaukee Brewers last week to highlight this update on local ‘Athletes Beyond Bartow.’ MLB Anthony Seigler ANTHONY SEIGLER — Milwaukee Brewers (Major League Baseball; 8th-year pro; Cartersville HS) … made three consecutive starts (two at third base and one as the designated hitter) July 21-23 in a series at the Seattle Mariners. The 26-year-old also made appearances at third base after pinch-hitting in three home games this past weekend against the Miami Marlins. He was 2-for-14 in the six games — both singles — and scored two runs. Since being called up from Nashville on July 2, Seigler has appeared in 12 games (5 starts) for the Brewers and is 4-for-25 with two RBI. Milwaukee (62-43 entering the week) hosts the Chicago Cubs on Monday through Wednesday in a battle for first place in the National League Central Division. They visit the Washington Nationals for three games this weekend prior to a three-game series at the Atlanta Braves on August 4-6. MiLB Mason Barnett MASON BARNETT — Las Vegas Aviators (Oakland A’s Triple-A affiliate; 4th-year pro; Auburn; Cartersville HS) … made a fifth consecutive start without a decision last Wednesday (July 23) in an eventual Aviators’ 3-2 loss at the Sacramento River Cats. The 24-year-old right-handed hurler allowed two earned runs on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts. He is 5-1 in 20 appearances (18 starts) and 96 innings. Barnett has 91 strikeouts and a 5.34 ERA. Las Vegas (11-14 in the second half, 60-41 overall entering the week) was 1-5 last week at Sacramento and hosts a six-game series this week with the Reno Aces. Logan Martin LOGAN MARTIN — Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals High-Class A affiliate; 3rd-year pro; Kentucky; Cartersville HS) … was charged with his first pitching loss since June 8 back on July 18 in a 5-1 home loss to the Peoria Chiefs. The 23-year-old starter went four innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and two walks. He fanned three. Last Thursday (July 24), the right-hander received no decision in an eventual 7-3 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Martin allowed one earned run (two total) on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts in a three-inning start. In 18 starts and 79-⅓ innings pitched this season, he is 8-4 with 65 strikeouts and a 3.97 ERA. Quad Cities (17-12 second half, 56-39 overall entering the week) was 4-2 last week against Wisconsin. The Bandits play a six-game series this week at the South Bend Cubs. PGA TOUR AMERICAS Buck Brumlow BUCK BRUMLOW — (1st year pro; University of Georgia; Cartersville HS) … made his first cut as a professional and tied for 26th place at the Commissionaires Ottawa Open this past weekend at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Ontario. Brumlow carded rounds of 69-68-69-65 (17-under par) at the 7,032-yard par-72 venue. He made one eagle and 25 birdies during the 72-hole event, including seven birdies and an eagle in his final round 65. He earned $1,500 and 26 points in the Fortinet Cup standings. He ranks 156th. Brett White, who fired a 59 in the final round, won the tournament in a two-hole playoff over Danny Fisher and Nathan Franks. The trio finished the tournament at 26-under par. Next on the PGA TOUR Americas schedule is the Osprey Valley Open that starts Thursday at TPC Toronto (Heathlands) in Caledon, Ontario.

July 22, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Bartow County Little League 12U softball team had their tournament run come to an end Tuesday with a 2-0 loss to Lake Mary (Florida) Little League at Southeast Region Park in Warner Robins. Both of Florida’s runs scored in the bottom of the second inning, and Bartow managed just one base hit in the game — a sixth-inning single by Maci Walker. The Georgia state champions were eliminated from the Little League Softball Southeast Region Tournament after their second loss, ending with a 1-2 record. In Tuesday’s loss to Florida, Walker and Kallaway Crenshaw were strong in the pitching circle. Walker made the pitching start for Bartow, allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout in the first 1-⅓ innings. Crenshaw worked 3-⅔ scoreless innings yielding one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. The Bartow County team went 3-0 to win the Georgia state title in early July and finished their entire tournament run with a 4-2 mark. Team members include: Makenzie Baker, Peyton Crabbee, Kallaway Crenshaw, Madison Evans, Zaylee Hudson, Milania Murphy, Kaley Nichols, Kynzie Poole, Paislee Rooks, Remi Sewell, Lily Wilson, and Maci Walker. Manager: Karla Crenshaw. Coaches: Kenneth Crenshaw and Jessica Baker.

July 21, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Zaylee Hudson connects on one of her two base hits in Bartow's 7-2 second-round loss to North Carolina on Monday. Bartow County Little League 12U softball fell behind North Carolina 7-0 through 4-½ innings on Monday afternoon in Warner Robins and did not recover in a 7-2 second-round loss to Mallard Creek Little League of Charlotte. North Carolina scored three runs in the top of the second, one in the third, two in the fourth, and one more in the fifth for their seven runs on ten hits and four walks. Bartow scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings and had nine hits in the contest. Maci Walker started in the circle for Bartow and was charged with the pitching loss. She went 1-⅔ innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits and one walk with one strikeout. Kallaway Crenshaw pitched 1-⅓ innings and allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks. Remi Sewell gave up one earned run (three total) on four hits and one walk in the fourth and fifth innings. Paislee Rooks pitched a spotless sixth inning with one strikeout. Makenzie Baker (RBI) and Zaylee Hudson led the locals’ offense with two hits each. Lily Wilson (double, RBI), Peyton Crabbe, Kynzie Poole (double), Madison Evans, and Crenshaw (triple) added one hit.  North Carolina earned a day off with their victory and will play Virginia (McLean Little League) on Wednesday. Virginia edged Tennessee (Dickson County Little League) 1-0 on Monday. Bartow County will play Florida (Lake Mary Little League) at 11 a.m. on Tuesday in an elimination game. The double-elimination tournament continues through Friday with the region champion advancing to the 12-team Little League Softball World Series August 3-10 in Greenville, North Carolina.

July 20, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Bartow County Little League pitcher Maci Walker retired the final five outs Sunday in the local team's 7-3 first-round victory over South Carolina. Bartow County Little League 12U produced two big offensive innings, and pitchers Kallaway Crenshaw and Maci Walker limited South Carolina’s bats to four hits in a 7-3 first-round victory at the Little League Softball Southeast Region Tournament on Sunday in Warner Robins. Bartow 12U scored five runs in the top of the third inning for a 5-0 lead and added two runs in the fifth to build a 7-1 advantage. South Carolina (Northwood Little League of Taylors, South Carolina) scored a run in the bottom of the fourth and added two in the sixth on three consecutive, two-out singles. A comeback grounder to Walker, however, ended the final inning threat. Crenshaw started in the circle for Bartow and pitched into the fifth inning. She allowed one unearned run on one hit and three walks and struck out one. Walker took over in the circle with one out in the fifth and retired the final five outs. She yielded two earned runs on three hits with no walks and fanned one. Bartow County outhit South Carolina nine to four. Both teams committed two errors. Catcher Makenzie Baker was three-for-three to lead the Bartow offense with three RBI. She singled in the first, third, and fifth innings, forcing home two runs in the third and one more in the fifth. Peyton Crabbe and Crenshaw had two hits for the locals. Remi Sewell contributed a two-RBI single in the third inning, and Kynzie Poole added one hit. Bartow advances to a second-round game on Monday at 2 p.m. to face Mallard Creek Little League from Charlotte, North Carolina.  North Carolina defeated West Virginia (Sissonville Little League) 2-1 on Sunday, and Dickson County Little League of Charlotte, Tennessee, edged Lake Mary (Florida) Little League, 1-0. In two other games on Monday, Tennessee plays McLean (Virginia) Little League at 11 a.m., and  West Virginia meets South Carolina in the double-elimination tournament’s first elimination game at 5 p.m. The action in Warner Robins continues through Friday, with the region champion advancing to the 12-team Little League Softball World Series August 3-10 in Greenville, North Carolina. The Southeast Region tournament is being played at Little League Southeast Park, located at 439 Snellgrove Drive in Warner Robins. Admission to all games is free. Games are televised on ESPN+.

July 18, 2025 The 2025 Little League Softball Southeast Region begins on Sunday in Warner Robins, with Bartow County Little League's 12U team representing Georgia in the seven-team, double-elimination tournament. Schedule: Sunday, July 20 11 a.m. — Game 1 — Florida (Lake Mary LL) v. Tennessee (Dickson County LL) 2 p.m. —Game 2 —  North Carolina (Mallard Creek LL) v. West Virginia (Sissonville LL) 5 p.m. — Game 3 — South Carolina (Northwood LL) v. Georgia (Bartow County LL) Monday, July 21 11 a.m.  — Game 4 — Virginia (McLean LL) v. Florida/Tennessee winner 2 p.m. — Game 5 — North Carolina/West Virginia winner v. South Carolina/Georgia winner 5 p.m. — Game 6 — North Carolina/West Virginia loser v. South Carolina/Georgia loser Tuesday, July 22 11 a.m. — Game 7 — Florida/Tennessee loser v. Game 5 loser 2 p.m. — Game 8 — Game 6 winner v. Game 4 loser Wednesday, July 23 11 a.m. — Game 9 — Game 7 winner v. Game 8 winner 2 p.m. — Game 10 — Game 4 winner v. Game 5 winner Thursday, July 24 10 a.m. — Game 11 — Game 9 winner v. Game 10 loser Friday, July 25 10 a.m. — Game 12 — Game 10 winner v. Game 11 winner All Games at Little League Southeast Park, 439 Snellgrove Drive, Warner Robins, GA Games are televised on ESPN+ and other ESPN platforms.

July 17, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Cartersville Little League 12U won the 2025 State Championship Thursday night with a 5-2 victory over Warner Robins-American. Cartersville advances to the eight-team Southeast Region Tournament in Warner Robins beginning July 31. Team members: Hayes Burris, Messiah Carter, Grayson Dean, Sawyer Ezell, Gavin Ham, Carter Harris, Emory Harris, Micah Mitcham, Connor Murphy, Harris Pressley, Hayden Stewart, and Sawyer White. Cartersville Little League 12U baseball defeated Warner Robins-American 5-2 on Thursday night at Vine-Ingle Little League in Macon to secure the 2025 Georgia State Championship. Cartersville 12U finished with a perfect 4-0 mark in the double-elimination state tournament and will now represent Georgia at the Southeast Region Tournament in Warner Robins that begins on Thursday, July 31, and features the state champions from seven other states. Harris Pressley was impressive on the mound for Cartersville and tossed all six innings, needing only 78 pitches. He scattered seven hits and one walk while striking out six. The Cartersville offense posted four runs in the top of the second inning to grab an early 4-0 advantage. A double by Sawyer Ezell opened the frame, and Messiah Carter reached on an error. Sawyer White promptly tripled home both base runners for a 2-0 lead. Connor Murphy drove in White with an RBI single, and two outs later scored on Gavin Ham’s base hit to make the score 4-0. Hayden Stewart opened the top of the third inning with a double and put Cartersville up 5-0 when he scored on a groundout by Pressley. Warner Robins-American got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning with a leadoff double and an RBI single. A second run in the frame was thwarted when Ham threw out a runner at the plate from his right field position. Cartersville catcher White applied the tag to end the inning. Another leadoff double and an ensuing RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning scored the second Warner Robins’ run. Pressley ended that inning with a strikeout. Murphy led the Cartersville 12U offense with two hits and one RBI. Hayes Burris, White (two RBi), Stewart, Ezell, and Ham (RBI) added one hit. In addition to Thursday night’s win, Cartersville had state tournament victories over Martinez-Evans (15-0), Smyrna (5-1), and an earlier win over Warner Robins-American (4-1). This season marked the 31st trip to the state tournament for Cartersville Little League's 12U team as District 1 champions, dating back to the league's inception in 1954. It also marks the first state title for the program and the first championship for a Northwest Georgia team since Rome National Little League's title in 1953. When the Southeast Region Tournament begins in Warner Robins on July 31, Cartersville 12U will open the double-elimination bracket against the South Carolina state champion at 4 p.m. Other opening round games include Florida against Tennessee at 10 a.m., North Carolina vs. West Virginia at 1 p.m., and Virginia facing Alabama at 7 p.m.  The tournament will continue through Tuesday, August 5, with the winner advancing to the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. All games at the Southeast Region will be covered live on ESPN+.

July 15, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Cartersville Little League 12U's Sawyer Ezell struck out three and closed out a 4-1 victory on Tuesday. Cartersville Little League 12U baseball moved one step closer to winning its first-ever state championship Tuesday night with a 4-1 win over Warner Robins-American Little League at the Georgia Championship in Macon. The victory sends Cartersville to the championship round of the double-elimination tournament on Thursday evening as the only unbeaten team remaining in the event. Cartersville 12U scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning for a 2-0 lead and added two more in the fifth as insurance. Hayes Burris and Sawyer Ezell had RBI hits in the fourth inning for Cartersville. Sawyer White singled and later scored on a passed ball in the fifth inning. Gavin Ham drove in the locals’ fourth run with a groundout that scored Connor Murphy. Cartersville pitchers Messiah Carter and Ezell combined for nine strikeouts and allowed only four hits and two walks. Carter made the pitching start and worked into the fifth inning. Ezell did not allow a run or a hit and retired the final four outs of the game, including three by strikeout. Burris finished with two hits and one RBI. Grayson Dean, Carter Harris,  Ezell (double, RBI), and White added one hit. The loss sends Warner Robins-American to an elimination game on Wednesday night against Smyrna. Smyrna blanked Peachtree City on Tuesday, 10-0.  The Warner Robins-American / Smyrna winner will play Cartersville for the state championship on Thursday at 6 p.m. Cartersville needs one win to claim the title. If a second game is needed on Thursday, it will be played immediately after the first game.

July 13, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Harris Pressley homered, went 3-for-3 at the plate, and was the winning pitcher Sunday afternoon as Cartersville Little League 12U topped Smyrna 5-1 and won its second round game at the Georgia Little League State Tournament at Vine Ingle Little League in Macon. Harris Pressley smacks one of his three hits Sunday in Cartersville Little League 12U's 5-1 victory over Smyrna. Pressley was also the winning pitcher as Cartersville advanced to the final three and is one of only two undefeated teams remaining in the double-elimination state tournament in Macon. Pressley made the pitching start and tossed 5-⅓ innings to earn the pitching victory. He allowed one earned run on five hits with no walks and fanned three. Messiah Carter faced the final four batters in the sixth inning and retired the final two outs to close out the win on the mound. Cartersville 12U struck for four runs in the top of the first inning, taking advantage of three base hits and two Smyrna errors. The score remained 4-0 until Smyrna hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth. Pressley answered the Smyrna run with a solo shot to left field in the top of the sixth to score Cartersville’s fifth run. Hayes Burris, Grayson Dean, Sawyer White, and Gavin Ham had one hit each for the locals. Sawyer Ezell was credited with an RBI. In other action in Macon on Sunday, Warner Robins-American also stayed unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament with a 10-0 victory over Peachtree City. Franklin County defeated Oconee County 10-6 in an elimination game, and Northern-Columbus eliminated Martinez-Evans 16-3. On Monday, Smyrna will play Franklin County, and Peachtree City will take on Northern-Columbus in elimination games.  Cartersville and Warner Robins-American will have an off day on Monday before squaring off on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Tuesday’s winner will advance to the championship round on Thursday, but the loser will be forced to play an elimination game on Wednesday night.