Local youth teams advance at GRPA District Five softball and baseball tournaments
A variety of Cartersville and Bartow County youth softball and baseball teams are in the midst of their 2021 Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) District Five tournaments.
Tournament games are continuing this week at Hamilton Crossing Park, Calhoun, Whitfield County Parks, Rockmart, and Dalton.
GRPA District 5 Softball — 12U
BARTOW COUNTY 18, ROME 3
Bella Turner paced the Bartow 12Us offense with three hits. Rainey Parham and Bria Callahan contributed a pair of hits each. Lily Powell, Natalie Wofford, Jennlyn Shuler, Emma Cortes, and Alexis Henson added one hit apiece.
Bartow’s second game in the tournament Tuesday against Cedartown was suspended due to weather. The winner reaches the double-elimination tournament semifinals against host Whitfield. That game was scheduled for Wednesday.
GRPA District 5 Softball -- 10U
BARTOW COUNTY 15, CEDARTOWN 0 BARTOW COUNTY 20, ROCKMART 1 Game reports to be added once the information is made available. Please check back here. Bartow County 10U, undefeated in the event, is scheduled to face Gordon County Thursday in the double-elimination tournament.
GRPA District 5 Softball — 8U
BARTOW COUNTY 23, GORDON COUNTY 0
The Bartow County 8U softball team cruised to a 23-0 opening round win over Gordon County Tuesday at Calhoun Park.
The local team pounded out 26 hits in the victory.
Neveah Tate, Caroline Owen, Linleigh Wade, and Mia Benitez led Bartow with three hits each. Annie Cochran, Addalyn Johnson, Harper Swancy, Madison Walker, and Sadie Houston finished with two hits each. Addaleigh Gravitt added one hit in the win.
The win by Bartow 8U sends them to a Friday winner’s bracket matchup against the Rockmart/Dalton winner. The double-elimination tournament continues through next Monday.
GRPA District 5 Baseball — 10U
BARTOW COUNTY 9, FANNIN COUNTY 3
In the opening round of the GRPA District Five 10 and under baseball tournament, host team Bartow County jumped out to a quick lead on Fannin County and never looked back taking a 9-3 win Tuesday at Hamilton Crossing Park.
Bartow scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning, one run in the second, and two in the third to take a commanding 8-0 lead. Fannin pushed three runs across in the top of the fourth inning to cut the score to 8-3.
Bartow then added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth and held Fannin scoreless in the top of the fifth inning to seal a 9-3 win.
Houston Walden pitched 3-2/3 innings allowing the three Fannin runs. He struck out eight while allowing only three hits and three bases on balls.
Brodie Gardner pitched 1-1/3 innings in relief allowing no runs and no hits Gardner fanned four and allowed only two walks.
At the plate for Bartow, Cade McCorkle went 3 for 3, and Noah Rogers went 2 for 3 to lead the locals. Also with hits: Karsin Darby, Logan Smith, Leeroy Watts, and Will Whitman.
Bartow plays again Wednesday night at 6 pm at Hamilton Crossing Park hosting Rockmart.
CALHOUN 12, CARTERSVILLE GOLD 1
The Cartersville 10U Gold team fell behind early and dropped its opening round game to Calhoun Tuesday at the GRPA District Five tournament at Hamilton Crossing Park.
Calhoun led 4-1 after one inning and added seven insurance runs over the next three frames to put the game away.
Cartersville 10U finished with five hits. Alek Higgins had two hits including a triple for Cartersville. Lucas Andrews drove in a run and had one base hit. Hudson Lovett contributed a double and Owen Morneault added one hit.
Andrews pitched the first two innings and struck out two. Chris Parker, Landon Hamilton, and Lovett also pitched for the locals.
Cartersville Gold is scheduled to play Gordon County in an elimination game Wednesday. The double-elimination tournament continues through Saturday.
CARTERSVILLE PURPLE 22, WHITFIELD COUNTY 1
CARTERSVILLE PURPLE 15, GORDON COUNTY 0
The Cartersville 10U Purple team has advanced through two rounds of the GRPA District Five tournament, winning handily Monday and Tuesday at Hamilton Crossing Park over teams from Whitfield and Gordon counties. Pitchers Noah Leffew and Will Groce combined for a three-inning, no-hit, perfect game in Tuesday night’s win over Gordon County. The duo combined to strike out seven of the nine batters they faced in a 15-0 win.
Monday, pitchers Bowan Hardy and Walker Phillips combined for a three-inning, one-hitter to beat Whitfield County, 22-1. Hardy did not allow a hit, but did walk one and struck out three in the first two frames. Phillips gave up a hit and three walks while accumulating three strikeouts.
In the two wins, Hardy had six hits including three doubles and seven RBIs. Groce totaled four hits including a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Tyler Hickman contributed three hits including a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Dametrius Wynn had three hits including one double and two RBIs. Colt Priest finished the two games with three hits including a triple, a double, and three RBIs. Leffew also added three hits and one RBI.
Parker Huth picked up two hits and had two RBIs. Cade McFarland had one hit and one RBI. Jude Hamilton tossed in one hit and Braxton Mealer added one RBI.
Cartersville Purple 10U is scheduled to play Calhoun Wednesday night in a winner’s bracket game. The winner moves into the district semifinals with the tournament continuing through Saturday.
GRPA District 5 Baseball — 12U
BARTOW COUNTY 8, ROCKMART 2
A quartet of hitters and a pair of strong pitching performances lifted the Bartow County 12U team to an opening win at the GRPA District Five baseball tournament at Al Rollins Park in Dalton.
Kason Miller hit a three run home run; Gatlin Fair drove in a run with a double; Trenton Mealer added a double; and Ben Wilson added a hit, a walk, and scored twice to lead the Bartow offensive attack.
Maddox Raughton earned the pitching win for Bartow working 2-2/3 innings. He scattered a pair of hits and struck out four. Braxton Elrod took care of the final 2-1/3 frames to earn a save. Elrod yielded just one hit and fanned four.
GRPA District 5 Baseball — 8U Coach Pitch
CARTERSVILLE 16, WHITFIELD COUNTY 2 BARTOW COUNTY BLUE 16, ROME 13 WHITFIELD COUNTY 10, BARTOW COUNTY GREEN 9
Two of three local 8U Coach Pitch teams have advanced to the winner’s bracket semifinals and one has dropped to the loser’s bracket of the GRPA District Five tournament in Calhoun.
In first round action Monday, Bartow Blue defeated Rome #2 in a 16-13 thriller while Bartow Green was edged by Whitfield County, 10-9. Cartersville defeated Whitfield Tuesday night, 16-2 in the second round after receiving an opening round bye.
Bartow Green is scheduled for an elimination game Wednesday against Rockmart at Calhoun Park. A win by the locals results in a second elimination game against Dalton.
Bartow Blue and Cartersville will square off with Fannin County and Calhoun, respectively, in winner’s bracket action Thursday night.
The double-elimination tournament continues through next Monday.
GRPA District 5 Softball — 10U Machine Pitch
WHITFIELD COUNTY 24, BARTOW COUNTY 6
The Bartow County 10U Machine Pitch softball team lost its opening game Tuesday night at the GRPA District 5 tournament, falling to Whitfield County at Heritage Park.
Bartow slips to the elimination bracket and is scheduled to face Dalton Wednesday.
The tournament is scheduled to continue through Friday.
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.
