Cartersville Purple 8U rolls to opening win at GRPA state tourney
The Cartersville Purple 8U baseball team blitzed Rockmart Black 8U 42-7 Tuesday in both teams' opening game of the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) State Tournament in Calhoun, while Bartow County White 8U fell to Morgan County 14-6. Action is scheduled to continue through Friday in the 13-team, double-elimination coach pitch tournament at the Sonoraville Recreation Complex.
All 12 players in the Cartersville Purple lineup had multiple hits and RBIs as they rolled to seven runs in the first inning, fifteen in the second, and twenty more in the third inning.
Colt Priest (5 RBI), Parker Huth (4 RBI), and Price Startup (3 RBI) had five hits each for Cartersville Purple. Bowen Hardy (5 RBI), Blake Forstie (4 RBI), and Chris Parker (4 RBI) contributed four hits each. Cade McFarland (4 RBI), Noah Leffew (3 RBI), Kolston Privett (3 RBI), and William Groce (2 RBI) finished with three hits each while Walker Phillips tossed in a pair of hits and an RBI.
Cartersville Purple 8U will play twice on Wednesday. They open with a 9 a.m. game against Morgan County. A win sends Cartersville Purple to a 6 p.m. game Wednesday evening. A loss places them in a 3 p.m. elimination game.
Bartow County White 8U came up short against Morgan County Tuesday afternoon.
The two teams were tied 5-5 until Morgan County scored seven runs in the bottom of the third to take a 12-5 advantage. Bartow County White added a run in the fifth and Morgan County scored twice in the bottom of the frame for a final eight run difference.
Triston Brawner, Knox Gunter, Corbin Dotson, Brady Young, and George Murchison all had two hits for Bartow White. Jace Reynolds, Javon Harris, Brock Morris, Maddox Koontz, and Xavier Harris added one hit apiece.
Bartow White plays Rockmart Black Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m. in an elimination game. The winner will face the loser of a 9 a.m. game between Cartersville Gold 8U and Gainesville.
Bartow Blue 8U also begins play Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. against Calhoun. The winner will face the Cartersville Gold/Gainesville winner Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. The Bartow Blue/Calhoun loser must play an elimination game at 3 p.m. against either Rome-Floyd or Dalton.
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.
