The Cartersville baseball team swept the Central Lions in a two game series in region play. The Canes traveled to Central on Friday, March 22, and defeated the Lions 14-3. Cartersville then played Central at home on Tuesday, March 26, and won by a score of 12-1. The Canes won both contests in only five innings.

As usual, Josh Davis started the game off hot for Cartersville on Tuesday with a leadoff double down the third baseline. This sparked a big first inning for the Canes, as they were able to go through the entire lineup. With bases loaded, Jordan Wilkie singled to bring home Davis, then Brant Smith singled to score Cohen Wilbanks. With two outs and bases still loaded, JP Martin crushed a triple that scored Wilkie, Smith, and Ian Inaba. Cartersville took an early 5-0 lead in the first.

Logan Martin headed to the mound for the Canes. He had two strikeouts and allowed no runs in the first.

Josh Davis repeated his at-bat from the first inning with another double to leadoff the inning. A single by Cohen Wilbanks brought Davis home to add to the lead. The Canes scored twice more in the second inning, with a single by Mason Barnett bringing Wilbanks home and a single by Ian Inaba scoring Barnett.

Logan Martin came back to the mound for his second inning. Martin had two strikeouts, but unfortunately three runs were given up, as Josh Davis made an errant throw to first to give up Central’s first run. Davis made up for his error at the plate, with a single in the third. He was brought home by Preston Welchel’s double to give Cartersville a 9-3 lead in the third.

Logan Martin composed himself in the bottom of the third with a 3-up-3-down inning and two strikeouts. Cartersville continued to score throughout the next two innings with one run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth. Martin finished the night with six strikeouts in four innings as Gage Morris closed the game in the fifth.

The Canes faced off against the Lions again on Tuesday with Cohen Wilbanks starting on the mound. In the first three innings, Wilbanks had three consecutive three-up-three-down innings. Cartersville didn’t get off to a great start at the plate as the game remained tied at zero through the first two innings.

Everything changed for the Canes in the bottom of the third inning, as they scored a whopping eight runs. Josh Davis started it off with a single that brought Kolby Adams home. Preston Welchel then hit a deep single that scored Noah Davis and Josh Davis. Mason Barnett hit a double down the third baseline to bring home Cohen Wilbanks and Welchel. Barnett was then brought home from a single by Jordan Wilkie. Cartersville quickly had a 6-0 lead with no outs and Central decided to change pitchers.

With the new pitcher in, Wilkie easily made his way to third base as the Central catcher made an errant throw in an attempt to pick him off at second. Wilkie made it home, as Ian Inaba was thrown out at first for the first out of the inning. Cartersville wasn’t done scoring as JP Martin crushed a solo homerun. The Central pitcher picked himself back up and quickly got two more outs.

Unfortunately for Cartersville, Cohen Wilbanks gave up one run in the top of the fourth, but the Canes made up for it at the plate by scoring four more runs in the fourth. With two runners on, Preston Welchel doubled to bring home Josh Davis. A double by Jordan Wilkie scored Welchel and Cohen Wilbanks, then a wild pitch brought Mason Barnett home.

Wilbanks put three runners on with two outs in the fifth, but got the third out before Central could do any damage. Wilbanks finished the game with two strikeouts and one earned run.

Cartersville moved to 15-3 on the season and 4-0 in region play.