GRPA tourney updates: Bartow 10U Blue wins District Five championship
Bartow 10U baseball built an early 5-0 lead by the middle of the fourth inning and added eight runs in the final two frames to secure a 13-5 win over Calhoun to win the 2021 GRPA District Five title.
Calhoun narrowed the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth, but got no closer.
Bartow pounded out 18 hits in the championship game win and swiped 24 bases on 26 attempts.
Houston Walden paced Bartow with four hits including a triple and one RBI. Cade McCorkle followed with three hits and one RBI. Noah Rogers (2 RBIs), Brodie Gardner (RBI), Logan Smith, and Will Whitman finished with two hits each.
The pitching quartet of Rogers, Gardner, Walden, and McCorkle combined for nine strikeouts and allowed only three earned runs.
Bartow 10U won four straight games to capture the 10-team district tournament championship. The district title makes them eligible for the 6-team GRPA State Tournament in Bainbridge June 22-25.
Cartersville 8U Gold earns spot in championship round; Bartow County 8U Blue finishes third
The GRPA 8U Coach Pitch District Five double-elimination tournament had only three teams remaining when play resumed Saturday with Cartersville 8U Gold and Bartow County 8U Blue playing each other for the right to meet host Calhoun Monday in the championship round.
Cartersville Gold raced to a 9-0 lead in the first inning and belted out 25 hits Saturday to defeat Bartow Blue, 16-7.
Jon Ryder M led the Cartersville Gold offense with four hits including a triple, three doubles and three RBIs. RJ P (double, 3 RBIs), Camden J (double, 3 RBIs), Weston S (triple, 3 RBIs), Conor M (RBI), Jack T (double, RBI), and Harry B (triple, double, RBI) followed with three hits each. Micah T finished with a pair of hits and one RBI. Evan B added one hit for Cartersville Gold
Bartow Blue was almost as productive at the plate totaling 19 hits.
Eli Brownlow had three hits including a double and two RBIs. Tallan Bradley also finished with three hits and two RBIs. Jasper Lovett contributed three base hits. August Blasengame contributed two hits and two RBIs. Messiah Carter had two hits and one RBI. Bryson Johnson and Noah McDurmon both added two hits. Easton Young rounded out the offense with one hit.
Bartow Blue finished the tournament with a 2-2 mark and finished third in the 11-team tournament.
Cartersville Gold, now 4-1 in the tournament, will need to beat Calhoun (4-0) twice Monday night to claim the district crown.
Bartow County 8U softball advances to District Five championship game
The Bartow County 8U softball team led 8-0 after one inning and 14-1 through two frames Saturday on their way to a 20-8 win over Rockmart. Neveah Tate, Annie Cochran, Aubree Huskins, Caroline Owen, Linleigh Wade, Mia Benitez, Addalyn Johnson, Harper Swancy, and Madison Walker were among the top hitters in the Bartow win.
Bartow County 8U advances to play Summerville in the championship round Monday night at Calhoun Park.
Bartow County will need to beat Summerville twice Monday to claim the district championship.
Other GRPA District Five games remaining:
Bartow County 12U Blue baseball (3-0) is in the District Five championship round Monday at Al Rollins Park in Dalton. The locals, who have tournament wins over Rockmart (8-2), Rome #1 (8-7), and Cartersville Gold (12-3) will play Rockmart who has won four straight games after losing on the tournament’s opening night to Bartow.
Bartow County 10U softball (3-0) has advanced to the GRPA District Five championship round and will be in action again Tuesday night in Rockmart. Bartow 10U softball, with wins over Cedartown (15-0), Rockmart (20-1), and Gordon County (20-0), awaits the survivor of elimination bracket games involving Gordon County, Calhoun, and Cedartown. The local team needs only one win Tuesday to win the district championship. Their opponent will need to defeat Bartow twice.
Information for local Little League softball and baseball updates along with updates from Georgia Recreation and Parks Association baseball and softball tournaments are provided by the Cartersville and Bartow County Recreation Departments and the respective Little League Baseball and Softball organizations. The updates are presented by CiCi's of Cartersville located in the Cherokee Crossing shopping center.
