'Canes baseball advances to Sweet Sixteen

The Cartersville Hurricanes took care of business Saturday in the opening round of the 2015 GHSA Class AAAA baseball playoffs by sweeping visiting North Oconee Titans at Richard Bell Field. The 'Canes advanced to the second round for the 17th consecutive year under head coach Stuart Chester. Cartersville won 4-1 in Game 1 behind ace pitcher Elliott Anderson. Anderson limited North Oconee to no earned runs and only four hits. He also struck out eight to earn the complete game victory.

Elliott Berrey had a pair of RBI singles to lead the Cartersville offense in Game 1. Parker Tidwell and Anderson also added RBI singles. The 'Canes completed the series sweep with a 13-8 victory in Game 2. The Titans took an early 5-0 lead off ambidextrious, freshman starter Anthony Seigler, but Cartersville would begin their answer in the third. Carrington Evans had a two-run hit in the third inning and Anderson tripled in three more runs in the fourth inning to catch the Titans 5-5. Anderson would later score on a wild pitch to give the Hurricanes their first lead of Game 2, 6-5. Jacob Fowler and Trenton Frazier had key RBI doubles in the fifth and sixth innings to expand the Cartersville lead to 12-6.

Cartersville improved to 18-9 on the year and will host Region 2 runner up, Thomas County Central in the next round. Those games will be Wednesday (May 6 DH) and Thursday (May 7, if needed) at Richard Bell Field. Game times TBA.