Six local teams remain in pursuit of GRPA District 5 softball, baseball titles
One Bartow County youth softball team staved off elimination twice Wednesday night in Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) District 5 tournament action, but another had its tournament run come to a close. Meanwhile on GRPA District 5 baseball tournament diamonds, five local teams remain alive for District titles with tournaments scheduled to conclude Thursday and Friday across Northwest Georgia.
SOFTBALL
BARTOW COUNTY 10U 14, WHITFIELD COUNTY 6 BARTOW COUNTY 10U 23, ROCKMART 17
Facing elimination in both games Wednesday night at the GRPA District 5 tournament, the Bartow County 10U machine pitch softball girls defeated Whitfield County and Rockmart to advance as one of the final three teams still alive for the championship.
Bartow 10U was sent to the loser’s bracket in the double-elimination tournament in their opening game by Summerville Tuesday night. Summerville remains the only unbeaten team remaining in the event and awaits the survivor of Bartow’s 6 p.m. game Thursday night with Rome-Floyd. Summerville needs only one more win to secure the disctrict title while their opponent will need to beat them twice. In Wednesday’s opening win over Whitfield County, Bartow broke open a close game with a six-run third inning.
Raelyn Walden homered twice while Bria Callahan, Lindsey Chubb, Bailey Ryan, Kaymin Arrants, Charlee Byrd, Ellisa McDonald, Gracie Korb, and Lily Powell all had hits. In the win over Rockmart, eleven Bartow players reached base and scored at least one run apiece including Kylie Gentry, Sariya Ray, Callahan, Chubb, Walden, Ryan, Arrants, Byrd, McDonald, Korb, and Powell.
ROCKMART 14U 20, BARTOW COUNTY 14U 12
The loss by Bartow County 14U softball knocked the locals out of the GRPA District 5 double-elimination tournament hosted by Rockmart. Bartow lost its opener to Whitfield County 5-2 Tuesday. Gordon County plays Rockmart Thursday at 6 p.m. in an elimination game with the winner squaring off against Whitfield County in the championship round to follow.
BASEBALL BARTOW BLUE 10U 3, CARTERSVILLE PURPLE 10U 0
Three Bartow County Blue pitchers combined for a one-hit, shutout as Bartow Blue defeated Cartersville Purple at the GRPA 10U District 5 baseball tournament at Westside Park in Whitfield County. Maddox Raughton (2 IP, 0R, 0H, 3BB, 6K), McCayden Hufstetler (1 IP, 0R, 1H, 1BB, 2K), and Preston Hazelwood (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 2K) each worked from the mound for Bartow Blue. Cartersville, playing in the 10U event with a nine year old team, got its hit from Dawson Ray. Brody Jones (3.1 IP, 3R, 1ER, 3H, 6BB, 3K) took the loss on the mound for Purple allowing only one earned run.
Connor Corbin had a double and scored a run for Bartow Blue. Zaylen Cochran (RBI) and Huck Garlin added base hits. Jackson Jarrett walked three times and had one RBI.
Bartow Blue 10U remains unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament and plays Rockmart Gold Thursday at 6:15 p.m. at Westside Park with the winner advancing to Friday’s championship round. The Bartow Blue/Rockmart Gold loser must play an elimination game later on Thursday night.
WHITFIELD COUNTY 10U 3, CARTERSVILLE PURPLE 10U 0
Whitfield County defeated Cartersville Purple 3-0 Wednesday night in a game that eliminated the locals from the GRPA District 5 tournament. Cartersville, playing with a nine year old roster in the 10U event, suffered a pair of shutouts Wednesday night in the double-elimination tournament. In the loss to Whitfield County, Brant Rutledge and Fisher Nelson managed the only Cartersville base hits while solid pitching performances by Blake Genrich (3 IP, 3R, 1ER, 4H, 2BB, 4K), River Wade (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB), and Avery Slye (1 IP) kept Purple close.
CARTERSVILLE GOLD 12U 3, WHITFIELD COUNTY 2
Cartersville Gold 12U defeated Whitfield County 3-2 Wednesday night to advance in the winners’ bracket of the GRPA District 5 tournament at Calhoun Park.
Cartersville Gold took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and added a run in the second to hold a 3-1 advantage. Whitfield County scored a single run in the fourth inning, but Cartersville pitching retired the final six outs of the game with strikeouts to secure the win. Nicolas Wright started on the bump for Cartersville with Braden Mulkey and Peyton Bowen working in relief to scatter six hits and three walks as a staff. The trio of Gold pitchers combined for ten strikeouts.
Logan Woody had two hits including a double to pace the Cartersville Gold offense. He also scored a run. Ben Turcotte contributed a double. Will Camp had a base hit and scored a run while Talan Nix reached base twice on walks and scored the other Cartersville run.
Cartersville Gold 12U plays the host team Calhoun Thursday at 6 p.m. with the winner advancing to Friday’s championship round. The loser must play an elimination game Thursday night at 8 p.m.
DALTON 12U 17, BARTOW WHITE 12U 2
Bartow White 12U was knocked out of the GRPA District 5 tournament in Calhoun Wednesday night with a 17-2 loss to Dalton. Dalton posted six runs in the first and second innings, then five more in the third inning to secure the win. Bartow did not have a hit, but managed single runs in the second and third innings of the shortened contest.
Seven walks and a pair of hit batsmen led to the Bartow White runs. Dalton finished with ten hits and advanced in the elimination bracket to play Rome-Floyd Thursday.
Bartow County Blue and Whitfield County are the other two teams remaining in the loser’s bracket of the 12U tournament while Calhoun and Cartersville Gold play each other Thursday at 7 p.m. as the only two unbeaten teams remaining.
BARTOW COUNTY 14U 15, WHITFIELD COUNTY 7
Bartow County 14U reached the championship round of the GRPA District 5 tournament at Heritage Point Park in Dalton with a 15-7 elimination game win over Whitfield County Wednesday night. Bartow will now square off with Cartersville Purple 14U for the district championship Thursday at 6:15 p.m. back at Heritage Point Park. Cartersville needs one win to secure the title. Bartow needs two wins. Cartersville defeated Bartow 6-1 in the opening game of the tournament Monday night and pounded Whitfield County 13-1 Tuesday to reach the finals. Following their loss to Cartersville, Bartow eliminated Dalton (9-0, Tuesday) and Whitfield County. Bartow utilized pitchers Landon O’Neil, David Kelly, and Connor Wright to limit Whitfield County Wednesday as all ten hitters in the Bartow order reached base and scored at least one run apiece.
Corey Brookshire had two hits in the Bartow win over Whitfield including a double. Landon O’Neil, PJ Weeks, and Luke Hollis also tossed in a pair of hits each. Caden Goff contributed with a double while Connor Wright, Cadyn Wade, Steven Rivera, Israel Contreras, and David Kelly added one hit apiece.
Little League results are provided to Bartow Sports Zone by Bartow County Little League and Cartersville Little League. The game data is shared by the leagues via GameChanger reports from the respective teams and/or leagues. GRPA tournament team results are also provided by the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department and the Bartow County Parks and Recreation Department or the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association. Results and capsules are sponsored on Bartow Sports Zone by Play It Again Sports and CiCi's - Beyond Pizza, both located in the Cartersville Main Street - Cherokee Place Shopping Center.
