Adairsville topped by Pace Academy in opening round series

The Adairsville baseball team was eliminated from the Class 3A state tournament Friday night after being swept in a doubleheader by Pace Academy 17-1 and 4-0. The Knights won the best-of-three series at Tiger Valley, 2-0.

Pace Academy rode a strong pitching performance by Brian Zeldin in Game 1 and struck for runs in every inning as they won 17-1 in four innings. Zeldin tossed a two-hitter, walked two, and fanned five in four innings of work.

Tigers’ pitchers walked 15 batters and the Knights cashed in their opportunities with seven hits that included a pair of home runs by Andrew Jenkins and two doubles by Darian Howard. Zeke Diamond and Jaden Steagall had the other Pace hits.

Pace led 12-0 before Adairsville scored a run in the bottom of the third inning on back-to-back hits by Trace Still and BJ Roper and an RBI groundout by Corey Nation.

Garrett Mishoe started on the mound for Adairsville and suffered the pitching loss. Levi Blackwell and Noah Nation also pitched for the Tigers.

In Game 2, Tigers’ ace Kyler Pelfrey kept Adairsville in striking range with a strong six inning performance. The Tigers’ bats, however, were not up to the task against Knights’ pitcher Jaden Steagall who limited Adairsville to three hits and two walks and kept them off the scoreboard in a 4-0 win.

Pelfrey allowed only four hits and one walk for a pair of earned runs. He fanned nine but was saddled with the pitching loss.

Pace Academy scored the game’s first run in the fourth, added two more in the fifth, and added a final run in the sixth inning.

Diamond, Steagall (RBI), Zeldin (double), and Jayden Thomas had the hits for Pace.

Noah Dutton, MIshoe, and Landon Ayers had hits for the Tigers.

Pace Academy improved to 22-8 for the season and will face the Morgan County/East Hall winner in the second round.

Adairsville finished the 2018 season with a 20-10 record and a runner-up finish in Region 6-AAA.