Cartersville Little League 12U falls to South Carolina in Region Tourney opener

July 31, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com

Cartersville Little League 12U's Sawyer Ezell connects for a two-run double in the first inning.

Cartersville Little League 12U lost its opening game Thursday afternoon at the Southeast Region Tournament in Warner Robins.

Irmo (South Caroline) Little League scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to overcome a two-run deficit and closed out the sixth inning with a strikeout and two groundouts for a 5-3 decision.

Cartersville 12U led in the early going with two runs in the top of the first inning and their third run in the top of the second. Irmo scored a single run in the bottom of the first that made the score 2-1, but did not score again until the fifth.

Brody Miller pitched the final three innings for South Carolina and did not allow a run. He walked one and struck out one, earning the pitching victory.

Harris Pressley made the pitching start for Cartersville and allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Messiah Carter took the mound for the final three innings and yielded four unearned runs on three hits and five walks. Carter fanned three and was charged with the pitching loss.

David Bogan had two hits and three RBI for South Carolina. Joe Giuletti also had two hits and scored two runs.

Sawyer Ezell (double, two RBI), Hayes Burris, Grayson Dean, and Gavin Ham had one hit each for Cartersville 12U. Three of the hits came in the top of the first inning, and the other was in the second frame.

The loss sends Cartersville to an elimination game on Friday at 1 p.m. against the loser of Thursday night’s Virginia/Alabama contest.

In other games on Thursday, Florida edged Tennessee 2-1 and West Virginia outlasted North Carolina, 10-9.

The double-elimination tournament continues through Tuesday, August 5, with the tournament winner advancing to the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.