Lady Canes win Super Regional and advance to the Class 5A Final Eight State Tournament

Cartersville softball beat the Jefferson Dragons in walk-off fashion twice Tuesday to win their Super Regional and advance to the Class 5A Final Eight State Tournament October 25-28 in Columbus.

The Lady Canes won 4-3 in Tuesday afternoon's first meeting with the Dragons. Then after Jefferson eliminated Centennial, Cartersville beat Jefferson Tuesday night in the championship round, 8-7.

Layne Callan had Cartersville’s walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning of the 4-3 victory.

Reese Dumas had the Lady Canes’ walk-off hit in the bottom of the eighth inning of the 8-7 Super Regional clincher.

Zoie Shiflett was the winning pitcher for Cartersville in both games. She worked 14 innings allowing six earned runs on 12 hits and two walks in the two games combined. Shiflett struck out three. Kennedy Stevens pitched one inning for the Canes allowing two earned runs on two hits. Stevens fanned one.

LaKiaya Banks had four hits in the two games for Cartersville including a pair of RBIs. Shiflett had three hits including two doubles. Erin McCrary totaled three hits with a double and three RBIs and Jordan Bishop also contributed three hits including a double and a solo home run.

Callan finished with two hits including a double and three RBIs while Dumas, Crenshaw, and Addi Burns added one hit and one RBI apiece.

Jefferson’s season comes to a close with a 20-8 record.

Cartersville (21-9) advances to the Class 5A Final Eight State Tournament in Columbus where the Lady Canes will open the double-elimination tournament against Ola (24-3) on October 25 at 1 p.m.

Other teams in the Class 5A tournament in Columbus are Cambridge (17-9), Harris County (23-7), Northside-Columbus (26-7), Kell (26-7), Eastside (22-5), and Northgate (16-11).