Lady Canes survive first elimination game at State Finals tournament

October 31, 2025

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com

LaKiaya Banks makes a play from her shortstop position.

Cartersville softball bounced back from a first-round loss at the GHSA Class 4A Elite Eight State Finals tournament on Thursday night to eliminate Pace Academy 12-9 on Friday morning in a back-and-forth battle at the Olympic Softball Complex in Columbus.

Cartersville led 4-0 before Pace Academy batted in the first inning, and the Lady Canes led 8-3 in the middle of the fifth inning. The early Hurricanes' advantage didn’t keep the Knights from fighting back into a late lead, before giving up that lead in the final frame.

The Knights narrowed Cartersville’s lead to 5-3 in the third inning, but Cartersville scored a run in the fourth and two more in the top of the fifth to go up 8-3.  The persistent Knights responded with a five-run fifth inning to tie and grabbed a 9-8 lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Cartersville regained the lead with four runs in the top of the seventh, and Canes’ relief pitcher Zoie Shiflett closed out the game with two strikeouts and a come-back groundout.

Zoie Shiflett picked up the pitching win for Cartersville in relief in their victory over Pace Academy.

Shiflett picked up the pitching win, covering the final three innings. She allowed just one, unearned run on two hits and a walk and struck out four. Presley Crabbe started in the circle for Cartersville and was lifted in the fifth inning after allowing eight earned runs on six hits, four walks, and a hit batter. Crabbe fanned seven.

It was far from a clean game for either team. Cartersville committed three errors, and Pace Academy made four. Additionally, Knights’ pitcher Megan Wrigley issued 13 walks but struck out 11 in a seven-inning effort.

Pace Academy (14-11) had eight hits while Cartersville needed only four to produce their dozen runs.

Bodhi Venturi led the Lady Knights’ offense with three hits, including two doubles and four RBI.

Presley Crabbe made the pitching start for Cartersville on Friday in their win over Pace Academy.

Sophia Harper had two hits, including one double and three RBI, to lead the Canes. Izzy Tummins (RBI) and Miley Jo Williams produced the other Cartersville base hits. Kinsey Woodard and Zoie Shiflett drove in runs with sacrifice flies. LaKiaya Banks was credited with two RBI, and Sam Porter added one RBI.

With their victory, the Lady Canes (30-5) advanced to a 1 p.m. elimination game on Friday against Harris County (30-4). The Tigers defeated Wayne County in the first round, but lost a Thursday night game to Eastside 4-1 to fall into the elimination portion of the double-elimination bracket. 

The Harris County/Cartersville survivor will be one of only four teams remaining and is scheduled to face the Central-Carroll/Wayne County/Union Grove survivor on Friday at 7 p.m.

Kell (28-3), who defeated Cartersville in the first round, was scheduled to play Eastside (30-1) on Friday evening in a matchup of the last two unbeaten teams in the tournament.