Canes and Golden Lions will play a third game to decide quarterfinal series

May 7, 2025

Cartersville and St. Pius X Catholic split their doubleheader Wednesday night and will play a rubber game on Thursday in Atlanta to decide their GHSA Class AAAA quarterfinal series.

The middle of the Purple Hurricanes’ lineup produced ten hits and eight RBI in Wednesday's first game in an 11-7 win. The host Golden Lions bounced back with a 5-3 victory in Game 2 behind a complete-game, twelve-strikeout pitching performance by McKale Stevenson.

The deciding game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start on Thursday.

GAME 1: CARTERSVILLE 11, ST. PIUS X 7

Julez Pratt

The Purple Hurricanes won the best-of-three series opener with a 15-hit attack led by the middle of the batting order. Julez Pratt, Cole Crawford, and Cameron Cochran combined for ten Canes’ hits and eight RBI from the 3-4-5 spots in the order. Pratt was 4-for-5 with three RBI. Crawford was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Cochran was also 3-for-5 with two RBI.

The Golden Lions kept the game tight, trailing 5-4 through the first five innings, but the Hurricanes posted six runs over the next two innings to build an 11-4 advantage. St. Pius scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but a comebacker to relief pitcher Maddox Frazier ended the threat.

Cartersville pitcher Nate Russell collected the pitching victory by working into the seventh inning. He yielded six runs (four earned) on four hits and five walks while striking out five. Frazier allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk with one strikeout.

Tristan McKibben produced two hits for the Canes in the victory. Brayden Logan (RBI), Andrew Purdy (double), and Nolan Elrod added one hit. 

GAME 2: ST. PIUS X 5, CARTERSVILLE 3

Logan Shrewsbury

Golden Lions’ starting pitcher McKale Stevenson struck out twelve, scattered five hits, four walks, and one hit batter to help St. Pius X Catholic earn a doubleheader split with Cartersville.

St. Pius X, batting first and playing as the visitors in Game 2, took an early lead with two runs in the top of the third inning on a walk and three singles. 

Cartersville (28-8) tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on RBI singles by Pratt and Elrod, but the Golden Lions (34-3) took advantage of four walks and an error in the fifth to regain the lead. Another Canes’ error in the sixth inning helped add another St. Pius X run, giving them a 5-2 advantage.

Thomas Peters hit a leadoff double and later scored in the bottom of the seventh, but the comeback threat ended abruptly.

Purdy started on the mound for Cartersville and was charged with the loss after working into the fifth inning. He allowed four earned runs on four hits and five walks, recording five strikeouts. Logan Shrewsbury recorded the final nine outs from the bump. He allowed one unearned run on two hits and three walks. Shrewsbury fanned six.

Casen Cochran, Peters, Elrod (RBI), Pratt (RBI), and Logan had one hit each for Cartersville. McKibben added one RBI.

The Hurricanes' loss snapped a 23-game winning streak—the second-longest in program history.

The winner of Thursday’s series rubber game will advance to the state semifinals and a best-of-three series at Wayne County. The Yellow Jackets (32-5) eliminated Kell on Wednesday with two one-run wins — 3-2 and 5-4.