Canes split DH at Greenbrier, state quarterfinal rubber game set for Monday

Miles Owen had two hits in Cartersville's Game 1 win Saturday including a two-run, go-ahead single in the sixth inning.

Cartersville baseball split its doubleheader Saturday in Evans with Greenbrier sending the best-of-three Class 5A state quarterfinal series to a deciding game on Monday.

The Purple Hurricanes won the opening game Saturday 4-3 but it was the host Wolfpack who won the second game, 6-4.

The rubber game of the series will take place Monday at 5 p.m. back in Evans.

The loss for Cartersville was the Canes' first loss to a team from Georgia this season. Their two previous losses were to teams from Mississippi (DeSoto Central) and Louisiana (Baton Rouge Catholic) in the Perfect Game High School Showdown in early March. The loss also snapped a 26-game winning streak that was the longest in school history.

Miles Owen, who finished with two hits, drove in a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning with a single to secure a come-from-behind effort in the Canes’ win.

Reliever Phillip Schiltz was the winning pitcher for Cartersville in Game 1.

Greenbrier scored twice in the second inning for an early 2-0 lead and added a run in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Cartersville scored twice in the top of the third to tie the score at 2-all at the time.

The Hurricanes outhit the Wolfpack in Game 1, seven to four.

Phillip Schiltz (2 IP, 0R, 0H, 2BB, 2K) picked up the pitching victory for Cartersville by recording the final six outs. Caden Carroll (4 IP, 3ER, 4H, 4BB, 4K) started the opener and Geoffrey Gore (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 3BB, 1K) worked an inning of middle relief.

Mark Abell (7 IP, 4R, 0ER, 7H, 2BB, 6K) suffered the pitching loss for the Wolfpack even though all runs against him were unearned.

Kyle Puffer had two hits and a pair of RBIs for Greenbrier.

Caleb Daniel contributed a pair of hits and one RBI for Cartersville. Cameron Cochran (double), Paul Gamble, and Harrison Childers had the other Canes’ base hits.

In Game 2, the lead changed hands four times with the Wolfpack coming out on top with two go-ahead runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Greenbrier led 1-0 in the top of the second and 3-2 with a run in the fifth.

Harrison Childers tied the score at 4-all with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth Saturday in Game 2.

Cartersville led 2-1 through three innings and scored twice in the bottom of the sixth on a Childers’ home run to knot the score at 4-4.

Griffin Stewart (1.2 IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 2K) picked up the pitching win for Greenbrier in relief of starter Brody Cleveland (5.1 IP, 4R, 2ER, 5H, 1BB, 1K).

Gore (1.2 IP, 2ER, 4H, 1BB, 1K) was tagged with the pitching loss for Cartersville. Ryan Johnson (4 IP, 2ER, 8H, 1BB, 7K) made the start on the mound and Nicholas Hruby (1.1 IP, 2ER, 3H, 0BB) pitched in middle relief for the Hurricanes.

Jamie Daly had three hits and two RBIs to pace the Greenbrier offense. Five other members of the Wolfpack — Hunter Knutson (RBI), Gage Kirkland, Taylor Maciaszek (double), Gauge Toole, and Puffer (two RBIs) — contributed two hits each.

Like Childers, Isaac McNair-Seigler had two hits in the second game for Cartersville. Kaden Stephenson had the other Canes’ base hit.

Cartersville (31-3) returns to Greenbrier (29-6) Monday for the deciding game in the state quarterfinal series.

The winner will play the Loganville/Locust Grove winner in the state semifinals May 13-15. That series also plays a rubber game Monday at 6 p.m. at Locust Grove. Loganville won 5-0 Saturday to extend the series after Locust Grove won Game 1, 6-3.