Canes split consolation games Saturday at PG Showdown

The Purple Hurricanes split a pair of consolation games Saturday in Hoover, Alabama to wrap up their visit to the 2023 Perfect Game High School Showdown by splitting four games during the week.

Cartersville defeated Cullman (Alabama) in the Canes’ first game Saturday before falling to Catholic-Baton Rouge later in the day, 5-1.

Thursday, Cartersville beat Chelsea (Alabama) 1-0 and lost to DeSoto Central (Mississippi) Friday night, 5-1.

CARTERSVILLE 3, CULLMAN (AL) 1

The Hurricanes strung together six singles in the inning and produced all three of their runs in the top of the third in an eventual 3-1 win over Cullman (Alabama) at the Hoover Sports Complex.

Canes’ pitchers Sawyer Wilson (5 IP, 1ER, 4H, 1BB, 3K) and Phillip Schiltz (2 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 4K) made those runs enough by keeping the Bearcats (3-2) off-balance most of the day. Luke Miller, Caleb Daniel (double, RBI), and Miles Owen (RBI) had two hits apiece for Cartersville. Gavin Shrewsbury (RBI), Harrison Childers, and Paul Gamble added one hit each.

CATHOLIC-BATON ROUGE (LA) 5, CARTERSVILLE 1

Catholic-Baton Rouge (Louisiana) posted five runs in the first four innings and Bears’ junior pitcher Ryan Ainsworth limited Cartersville to just three hits to defeat the Canes in their final PG High School Showdown consolation game Saturday afternoon.

Ainsworth allowed just one run and struck out seven while tossing a complete game.

Clayton Pourciav and Jack Ruckert both homered for Catholic and combined with Prescott Marsh for six of the Bears’ nine hits and four RBIs.

Geoffrey Gore (1 IP, 3ER, 2H, 3BB, 1K) started on the mound for Cartersville and suffered the pitching loss. Nicholas Hruby (3 IP, 2ER, 4H, 1BB) and Dawson Bishop (3 IP, 0R, 3H, 3K) also pitched for the Hurricanes.

Harrison Childers, Isaac McNair-Seigler, and Ryan Johnson had one hit each for Cartersville.

Catholic-Baton Rouge improved to 7-2 on the season.

Cartersville (6-2) hosts Adairsville Thursday at 5 p.m. and will play at Adairsville on Friday.