Tuesday's diamond roundup: Canes open region slate with a win over Allatoona

March 3, 2026

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com

Cartersville claimed victory in its region opener on Tuesday, breaking a seven-game losing streak, while Cass, Woodland, and Adairsville each lost their initial region contests.

CARTERSVILLE 5, ALLATOONA 0

Georgia Southern signee and right-hand pitcher Nate Russell tossed a complete game one-hitter on Tuesday night to lead the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes to a 5-0 shutout win over visiting Allatoona. Russell walked three, hit one batter, and struck out 12 of 25 batters faced.

Nolan Elrod contributed an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning for a 1-0 Cartersville lead, and the score stayed that way until the sixth.

The Canes took advantage of three walks, an Allatoona error, two hits, and a sacrifice fly to plate four insurance runs in the sixth inning to secure the Region 7-AAAA win.

Clint Hosea had two hits, including a double and two RBI, for Cartersville. Brant Rutledge and Brayden Logan each added one hit. David Vargas contributed one RBI with a sacrifice fly.

Allatoona (3-4, 0-1) will host a doubleheader with Cartersville (3-7, 1-0) on Friday, starting at 5 p.m.

DALTON 10, CASS 6

The Colonels rallied for five runs in the final two innings at Dalton on Tuesday night, but could not overcome an early 10-1 deficit, losing their Region 7-AAAA opener to the Catamounts.

Dalton scored in each of the first five innings to build a big lead, although Cass outhit the Catamounts twelve to eleven.

Cane Woods and London Cox led the Dalton offense, combining for six hits and seven RBI. Woods homered twice, tripled, and doubled with four RBI.

Cass starting pitcher Dustin Wallin (2.1 IP, 8R, 6ER, 7H, 2BB, 5K) took the loss on the mound. Landon Farmer (1.2 IP, 1ER, 1H, 1BB, 1K) and Andrew Ray (2 IP, 1ER, 3H, 0BB, 1K) pitched in relief.

Zach Stiles (RBI) had two hits for the Colonels. Maddox Koontz (two RBI), Kasey Jacobs (two RBI), Noah Rogers (RBI), Landon Lamb, Dawson Warner, Easton Lee, Cooper Rampley, Farmer, and Wallin each added one hit.

Dalton (5-2, 1-0) and Cass (3-7, 0-1) will continue their region series on Friday at Cass in a 5 p.m. doubleheader.

CEDARTOWN 12, WOODLAND 8

The Wildcats and host Bulldogs traded blows in the early innings on Tuesday evening, but Cedartown came away with a 12-8 Region 7-AAAA win.

There were four lead changes in the early going. Woodland led 1-0 with a run in the top of the first. Cedartown answered to lead 4-1 at the end of the frame. The Wildcats regained the lead at 6-4 in the top of the second, and Cedartown scored seven runs in their next two frames to build an 11-6 lead.

Logan Smith (4 IP, 2R, 1ER, 2H, 0BB, 3K) was tagged with the pitching loss for the Wildcats in relief of starter Blake Forstie (0.2 IP, 4ER, 4H, 1BB), and reliever Brylon Reynolds (1.1 IP, 6R, 5ER, 6H, 1K).

Grant Tidwell had two doubles and two RBI to lead the Woodland bats. Tommy Risner (triple, sacrifice fly, two RBI), Sammy Ray (RBI), Jonathan Ryan (RBI), and Preston Sorrells added one hit for the Wildcats.

Woodland (5-4, 0-1) will host Cedartown (3-3, 1-0) in a doubleheader on Friday, scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.

CALHOUN 6, ADAIRSVILLE 3

Adairsville scored three runs in the top of the first inning Tuesday evening at Calhoun, but the Yellow Jackets responded with six unanswered runs over the first five frames to beat the Tigers 6-3.

The Adairsville defense committed five errors that contributed to three unearned runs, and the Tigers’ pitchers issued seven walks in the loss.

McCayden Hufstetler (3 IP, 5R, 3ER, 6H, 4BB, 2K) made the pitching start for Adairsville and was saddled with the loss. Westin Barfield (1.1 IP, 1R, 0ER, 1H, 3BB, 3K) pitched in the middle innings, and Tyler Parker (1.2 IP, 0R, 1H, 0BB, 3K) retired the final five outs for the Tigers.

Barfield had two hits and one RBI for Adairsville. Kaden Coker (double), Brody Varner, Harrison Cole, and Hufstetler each added one hit in the loss. 

Calhoun (8-3, 1-0) visits Adairsville (8-3, 0-1) on Thursday, and the two teams will complete the three-game series on Friday back in Calhoun.