On Wednesday, March 21, the Cartersville baseball team defeated LaGrange 2-1 at home. Senior Mason Barnett started on the mound for the Canes and had a phenomenal outing. Barnett pitched all seven innings, throwing a whopping thirteen strikeouts and allowing four hits and one run.  He had three consecutive three-up-three-down innings and went 2-for-3 at the plate with a deep off-the-wall double and a single.

LaGrange pitcher Matthew Morgan also pitched all seven innings, throwing three strikeouts and allowing nine hits and two runs.

Cartersville got in scoring position multiple times during the game, but couldn’t get anyone home until the seventh inning. With two runners on and two outs in the top of the seventh, Barnett gave up a deep double that scored one runner for LaGrange. He quickly gathered his composure and threw his thirteenth strikeout of the night. The Canes started the bottom of the seventh with the top of the lineup. Josh Davis was walked in the first at bat and Cohen Wilbanks hit a sacrifice bunt to move Davis to second base. Preston Welchel stepped up to the plate with one runner on and one out. On cue, Welchel crushed a home run to win the game for Cartersville.  

Welchel went 2-for-2 on the night after going 3-for-3 the game before. He hit a line drive single down the first baseline, was intentionally walked, and hit the 2-run walkoff homerun to seal the game. Cartersville moved to 13-3 on the season and 2-0 in Region 5AAAA. The Canes will travel to Central on Friday.