Canes sweep Coffee in second round of Class 5A state playoffs

Jacob Ray had two hits including a double and two RBIs as Cartersville advanced to the Class 5A state quarterfinals.

The No. 1-ranked Cartersville Purple Hurricanes closed out their second round Class 5A playoff series Tuesday night with a doubleheader sweep of the visiting Coffee Trojans.

After the Canes took the opening game 3-2, the locals eliminated Coffee in Game 2, 6-0.

Game 1 story available HERE.

In the series clincher, Cartersville starting pitcher Caden Carroll was solid on the mound working six shutout innings. He scattered four hits and did not walk a batter while striking out nine. Phillip Schiltz, who earned a save in the first game of the night, closed out the seventh inning. Schiltz surrendered a one-out double, but wrapped up his shutout frame with a fly out and a ground out.

Playing as the visiting team in Game 2, Cartersville took an early lead with a run in the top of the first inning on a Hank Smith RBI single.

In the top of the third, Harrison Childers’ RBI single, Jacob Ray’s RBI double, and a sacrifice fly by Blake Sutton built the Hurricanes a 4-0 lead.

Ray singled home another run in the fifth inning and Drew Rothschild closed out the Cartersville scoring with an insurance solo home run to lead off the seventh inning.

Childers finished Game 2 with three hits and one RBI. Ray had two hits including a double and two RBIs. Hank Smith (RBI) also finished with two hits. Rothschild (HR), Curt Bonner, Elliott Eastin, and Caleb Daniel added one hit apiece.

The year ends for Coffee with a 19-11 record.

Cartersville (27-5) advances to the state quarterfinals for the 23rd time in the past 26 seasons. The Canes will now host Greenbrier in the Class 5A quarters in a best-of-three series at Richard Bell Field. The series will begin with a doubleheader Monday. If a third game is needed, it will be on Tuesday.

The Wolfpack (22-9) finished third in Region 8-5A during the regular season, but swept Jackson in the first round of the state playoffs and Ola in the second round Tuesday night, 12-2 and 6-0.