Canes win pitching duel opener, Adairsville falls to Darlington

February 12, 2026

The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes opened the 2026 baseball season on Thursday evening at Rockmart and escaped with a nail-biting 1-0 win in eight innings.

After seven scoreless innings in a pitcher’s duel, the Canes coaxed four walks in the top of the eighth for the game’s only run. Cartersville reliever Brayden Logan walked a batter in the bottom of the eighth, but a pickoff, a groundout, and a strikeout retired the side and preserved the combined shutout victory.

Nate Russell, who has signed with Georgia Southern, started as the pitcher for the Hurricanes and recorded four strikeouts over three scoreless innings. Coleman Stubblefield pitched the next four innings, giving up no runs, just one hit, and three walks, while striking out five batters. Stubblefield earned the win, and Logan secured a save.

Rockmart's left-handed starting pitcher, Trey Luke, struck out 13 batters in the first five innings, preventing the Canes from scoring, although he walked five. In the final three innings, Gage Campbell pitched for the Yellow Jackets without allowing a hit, but he also gave up five walks and was credited with the loss.

Logan had the only two hits for Cartersville. Colby Fuqua had Rockmart’s only base hit.

The loss dropped Rockmart to 0-2 on the season.

Cartersville (1-0) hosts Harrison on Saturday at 1 p.m.

DARLINGTON 3, ADAIRSVILLE 2

Darlington scored its go-ahead run in the top of the sixth and held on to win at Adairsville on Thursday, 3-2.

Both teams posted a first-inning run, and Darlington took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third. Adairsville tied the score at 2-2 in the fifth, before the visiting Tigers in purple took the lead for good.

Kaden Coker made the pitching start for Adairsville and fanned six in the first five innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk. Tyler Parker yielded one run on three hits in the sixth and was saddled with the pitching loss. Westin Barfield walked one and struck out one in a shutout seventh inning.

Harrison Cole and Barfield had two hits for Adairsville. Hudson Parr added one hit, and Coker contributed one RBI.

Darlington improved to 2-0.

Adairsville (2-1) hosts Woodland-Stockbridge on Monday at 5:30 p.m.