Eagles blank JFCA; Canes and Tigers drop Tuesday night games

April 16, 2024

Caleb Daniel

Class 6A River Ridge built a 7-0 lead through 4-½ innings Tuesday night at the Cartersville Baseball Complex and held off the Hurricanes in both teams’ final regular season game, 7-2.

Cartersville’s two runs came in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run homer by Caleb Daniel.

The Knights utilized five pitchers to limit the Canes’ offense to five hits. Cartersville also coaxed five walks but failed to take advantage of some scoring opportunities.

Aidan Larkin had two hits and was on base for the Daniel home run. Luke Miller and Charlie Rothschild had the other Hurricane base hits.

Jackson Harwell (1.1 IP, 5R, 3ER, 3H, 2BB, 1K) made the pitching start for the Canes and suffered the loss. Nicholas Hruby (3.2 IP, 2R, 0ER, 5H, 0BB, 3K) and Andrew Purdy (2 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 3K) pitched in relief. 

River Ridge improved to 17-10 on the season and will be a playoff team.Cartersville (23-5) will host a best-of-three, first-round state playoff series as a No. 1 seed. The Hurricanes will face the No. 4 team from Region 6-5A beginning with a doubleheader next Tuesday (game times TBA).

BREMEN 1, ADAIRSVILLE 0

A run producing triple by Bremen’s Micah Harper in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday evening was the difference as the host Blue Devils clipped the Adairsville Tigers, 1-0.

The lone run spoiled an impressive pitching performance by Adairsville’s McCayden Hufstetler. The Tigers’ hurler pitched all six innings allowing just four hits and three walks. He fanned three.

Adairsville outhit 7th-ranked Bremen five to four but failed to push across a run.

Jack Nelson had two hits. Peyton Bowen, Jarrett Scott, and Ryan Farr added one hit.

The Blue Devils improved to 18-8 overall and 10-3 in Region 6-AAA.

Adairsville (15-8, 8-5) will host Bremen on Thursday at 5:55 p.m. in their regular season finale. The Tigers are now locked in as the No. 4 seed from the region in the state playoffs.

EXCEL CHRISTIAN 6, JOHNSON FERRY CHRISTIAN 0

Excel Christian Academy’s Gavin Dyson pitched a seven-inning complete game Tuesday afternoon and shutout visiting Johnson Ferry Christian Academy, 6-0.

The Eagles’ hurler scattered four hits and two walks. He struck out seven. ECA broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the fourth inning with three runs. The Eagles took advantage of three straight walks to open the inning, a two-run single by McKaden Gentry, and a double-steal attempt that resulted in an out at second base but plated a run.

Excel added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The runs were produced with two walks and RBI singles by Gentry and Kamarion Profit along with a wild pitch that allowed a run.

The loss dropped the Saints, a GAPPS D-IAA team, to 6-8 on the season.

Excel (5-7, 2-3 GAPPS D-IA, R-1) wraps up region play on Thursday at home against Oakwood Christian at 5:30 p.m.