Canes dispatch Dragons to reach the Class 5A state quarterfinals
April 29, 2024
The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes swept the Jefferson Dragons in a doubleheader Monday night at Richard Bell Field to advance to the quarterfinals of the Class 5A state playoffs for the 25th time in the last 28 seasons.
The Canes won the opening game 1-0 and completed the sweep in the second game 10-1.
Sawyer Wilson made the Game 1 start on the mound for Cartersville and went six shutout innings. He allowed just two hits, no walk, and struck out seven. Ryan Johnson returned to action and picked up a save by closing the seventh inning. Johnson yielded one hit and struck out two.
The opener was scoreless through the first 2-½ innings when Luke Miller opened the Canes’ half of the third with a triple. Two outs later, Andrew Purdy lined a single into center field driving in the game’s only run.
Batting first in Game 2 the Hurricanes started quickly scoring four runs in the first and four more in the second inning to build an 8-0 lead.
The Dragons’ only run crossed in the bottom of the second inning. Cartersville added a single run in the fourth inning and Purdy hit a solo home run for the Canes’ tenth run in the sixth inning.
Nate Russell collected the Game 2 pitching win. He allowed one, unearned run on five hits. He issued no walks and struck out eight. Logan Shrewsbury pitched the final two innings. Shrewsbury gave up no runs on two hits with one strikeout.
Miller had four hits in the two games including a triple. Purdy (home run, triple, five RBIs) and Tristan McKibben (RBI) followed with three hits. Landon Cole (triple, three RBIs) and Cole Crawford (RBI) had two hits. Caleb Daniel added one hit and scored three runs after being hit by a pitch three times in the series.
The season for Jefferson ends with a 17-15 record.
Cartersville (27-5) will host the Locust Grove Wildcats (22-12) in a best-of-three state quarterfinal series that begins with a doubleheader on Saturday. If a third game is needed, it will be on Monday.
Locust Grove, the third-place team from Region 2-5A, swept Decatur on Monday night 12-2 and 6-3.
