Canes drop final tune-up for state playoffs to Locust Grove

The Cartersville High baseball team used a non-region, final regular season game with Locust Grove at the East Cobb Baseball Complex Wednesday night as a tune-up for next week’s Class AAAAA state playoffs.

In a high scoring affair, Locust Grove -- the No. 2-seed from Region 4-AAAAA -- used a pair of six-run innings to defeat the Canes, 18-8.

Both teams started fast. The Wildcats scored three runs in the top of the first and Cartersville answered with four in the bottom of the inning.

Locust Grove added a run in the second and six more in the third to build a 10-4 lead. The Canes then managed a run in the third and two more in the fourth inning to narrow the margin to 10-7 but it was the Wildcats who added eight additional runs over the final three frames for an eventual 10-run win.

Both teams utilized a majority of their rosters. The Canes used five different pitchers and sent 20 different batters to the plate. Locust Grove sent five different pitchers to the mound and utilized a dozen batters.

Jalin Spicer, Ashton Essex, and Isaiah Zepada-Felix combined for eight hits and seven RBIs in the Wildcats win.

Parker McPherson had two hits and one RBI for Cartersville. Elliott Eastin and Harrison Childers finished with a hit and two RBIs each. Caleb Daniel and Tyler Williamson notched one hit apiece. Jake Brasfield and Colt McKibben drove in one run each.

Locust Grove improved to 18-11 with their win. The Wildcats will host the No. 3-seed from Region 1-AAAAA when the playoffs begin next Wednesday.

Cartersville (22-8) will host the Region 6-AAAAA No. 3-seed — either Chapel Hill (10-15) or Grady (12-10) — in the first round of the state playoffs. Those teams are completing their region schedules this week.