Late inning surge sends Canes to bracket play as divisional top seed at PG High School Showdown

Cartersville scored three runs in the sixth inning Thursday night to take a 3-2 lead and then added an insurance run in the seventh to secure a 4-2 victory over Mountain Brook (Ala.) at the Perfect Game High School Showdown in Hoover. Canes pitcher Phillip Schiltz tossed a complete game one-hitter and struck out nine to earn the victory on the mound. Both Mountain Brook runs were unearned. One scored on an infield error and the other on a wild pitch.

Five different Cartersville batters finished with one hit each. Blake Sutton had the clutch hit in the sixth inning to give Cartersville the lead. His hard hit infield single drove in the tying and go-ahead runs for the Hurricanes. Parker McPherson contributed a double and one RBI. Curt Bonner, Jake Brasfield, and Hank Smith added one hit apiece.

The loss dropped Mountain Brook to 7-3 on the season. Cartersville (4-3) advances to bracket play Friday at 3:30 p.m. in the White Division at the Hoover Met Sports Complex. The Canes will be the top seed in the division and will square off against the Oxford (Ala.) Yellow Jackets.

The division championship game is slated for 9 a.m. Saturday in the Stadium at Hoover.