Crabbe, Shiflett lead Canes into the playoffs after a record season
October 13, 2026
Scott Barkley / CanesAthletics.com
When the Cartersville High softball team takes the field at Dellinger Park this Wednesday, they will start the playoffs with the strongest 1-2 pitching combo in school history.
Senior Zoie Shiflett’s .79 ERA is 15th in the nation. She has struck out 93 batters this season while giving up only nine walks. Teams are hitting .155 against the Coastal Carolina signee, who is 11-2 this year.
Opponents don’t see a break when Presley Crabbe enters the circle. The junior’s .53 ERA ranks her 10th in the country. Out of 302 batters she's faced, 132 struck out. A walk up to the plate means a batting average is about to drop, as hitters are only .142 against her. Crabbe’s ridiculous stat of the season is that she has as many walks (14) as wins, with no losses.
Both will pitch this Wednesday, Oct. 14, against Ware County in a three-game series. Game 1 starts at 1 p.m., Game 2 is scheduled for 3 p.m., and Game 3, if necessary, will take place on Thursday. Shiflett is expected to take the first game. But no matter who steps forward, the other will be her biggest cheerleader and competitor at the same time, a formula for success.
“They feed off each other,” said head coach Glen Woodard. “They know exactly how good the other is. In the dugout, Presley is Zoie’s number one fan, and the same goes when Presley’s pitching. They know that if one can come in and give four hard innings, the other can come in for three hard innings and we can shut out anybody. Getting into the playoffs, that’s the mentality we’re going to have to have.”
The duo’s dominance peaked on Aug. 27 and Sept. 1, when Crabbe, then Shiflett, pitched back-to-back perfect games.
In interviews with both earlier this season, they stressed the importance of staying focused on the task at hand and not getting caught up in game pressure.
“If you think about it too much, you’re going to mess yourself up eventually,” said Crabbe. “I’m focusing on the next pitch.”
“I concentrate on giving 100 percent every single pitch,” Shiflett added. “If I’m throwing a no-hitter or a perfect game, I don’t think about it. It’s about the next batter.”
Shiflett has been a double-threat as a pitcher and hitter for the Lady Canes since her freshman year. She broke the school home run record on Sept. 15 while slinging a one-hitter against Cass. This season, she leads the team in batting average (.450), home runs (13), RBIs (38), and slugging percentage (1.013).
This season continues the Canes softball program's upward swing. Five years ago, the team was finishing its second straight year with single-digit wins. The team improved steadily over the next two seasons before a 24-7 campaign in 2024. The Lady Canes went 30-6 last season. A 3-1 win over Cass on Oct. 8 set their record at 26-2, a new regular-season win mark in CHS history.
“Zoie stepped in as a freshman and put her mark on this program, pitching-wise, and has never slowed down,” said Woodard. “Presley has just been dominant in the circle.”
Shiflett and Crabbe know the team’s success comes from more than two players.
“Obviously, you want to get a strikeout, but I also trust my defense,” said Crabbe. “We both know they have our back. I also have worked a lot with our catcher in travel ball, so we’re familiar with calling pitches. I’ve also gotten better at mixing up pitches instead of relying on just one.”
Athletic ability aside, the team carries a significant intangible into the postseason.
“We get along and work well as a team,” said Shiflett. “There’s no drama or anything like that. We know we can trust each other on the field and at the plate. It’s really helped us get to where we are right now.”
“I agree,” echoed Crabbe. “There’s a really big trust factor. We can turn around and look at anyone on the field and know that. Even the ones in the dugout cheer on those on the field. We work really well as a group and are proud of each other.”
“We all are focused on winning state,” Shiflett said. “We’ve gotten to the Elite Eight two out of the last three years, and we want to meet that goal.”
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