Canes fall to Oxford (AL) in bracket semifinal at PG High School Showdown

Oxford (AL) scored a run in the first and added an insurance run in the seventh inning Friday afternoon for a 2-0 win over Cartersville in a bracket semifinal game of the 2021 Perfect Game High School Showdown in Hoover. Yellow Jackets’ pitchers Carter Johnson and Peyton Watts combined to limit Cartersville to only three hits in the shutout.

The Canes’ best scoring threat came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hank Smith doubled with two outs and was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a single to center field by Parker McPherson.

Mason McBee started on the mound for the Canes and suffered the pitching loss despite allowing only one earned run on three hits with no walks. McBee fanned four. Davis Williams pitched the seventh inning allowing an earned run on two hits and one walk. Williams struck out three.

In addition to the hits by Smith and McPherson in the fourth inning, Blake Sutton had a base hit for the Hurricanes in the second inning.

Oxford improved to 6-1 with their win and will play Loganville (GA) for the White Division championship Saturday.

Cartersville (4-4) will play a consolation game Saturday at 10:30 a.m. CT against Russell County (AL) on Field 2 at the Hoover Met Sports Complex.