A Cartersville boys team squared off against a Bartow County squad in a baseball tournament Tuesday night and as you might expect, the contest between the two 10-and-under teams was a real scrapper.

It took the Bartow team four innings to scratch out a lead -- the teams were squared at 3-all after three frames -- but when the county squad got a taste of a late lead it figured out how to hold it and eventually claimed the game, 7-4. It did have to douse out a late scare by the pesky Cartersville squad.

Bartow crossed home plate first on the evening, grabbing a run in the top of the first inning. Cartersville came back in the bottom of the frame, though, and took a 2-1 lead at the end of the period.

The Bartow squad answered in the top of the second, however, to tie the game again and that held when Cartersville did not answer in the bottom of the period and both failed to score in the third.

Bartow scored two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to claim a comfortable 7-3 lead at the end of five innings. Their three runs in the fifth came courtesy of an inside-the-park home run that was given wings by Jake Fitzpatrick.

Cartersville did not plate a run in the bottom of the fifth but after holding its opponent to no runs in the top of the sixth, punched one run across the plate to pull within 7-4 and put another one in scoring position. However that rally ended when a long fly ended in the soft mitt of an outfielder to close the game.

Head coach Darrell Lee said his team was able to walk away with the victory because the players listened when they fell behind early.

"They did exactly what their coaches asked and played good, fundamental baseball," Lee said. "They kept their heads and never got down."

Lee said the inside-the-park homer by Fitzpatrick was a big strike for the team.

"He's been a good hitter for us," Lee said.

The coach said pitching was the other ingredient that keyed their victory.

"Jason Burdette, our starting pitcher, had an outstanding game," he added.

The victory helped Bartow to advance to the next game, which was played later on Tuesday, starting at 8 p.m. He said Burdette will be rested until Thursday.

"We have another pitcher for tonight's game," he said Tuesday evening. "We're lucky enough to have some depth where we can rest a player for situations like these."

Lee said the winner of Tuesday night's game, against Rome YAI, will play today at Field Four at Hamilton Crossing.

Tuesday games

In 10-and-under boys baseball, the Bartow 10's defeated the Cartersville 9's, 7-4; Cherokee County beat the Cartersville 9/10 B, 12-4; the Cartersville 9/10 B handled the Bartow 9's, 11-0.

Also, the Rome-Bartow game was suspended due to bad weather in the bottom of the fourth inning with Bartow leading, 12-3. The game resumes at 6 p.m. today.

Also, at 6 p.m., the Cartersville 9/10 A will play Cherokee County and at 8 p.m. the winner of the Rome-Bartow contest will face Cartersville 9/10 B.

In 12-and-under GRPA baseball, Rome defeated Bartow, 4-1.

Monday games

In 10-and-under Georgia Recreation and Park Association results Monday, Rome-Floyd County defeated Bartow 9's, 16-7; Cherokee County outscored Cartersville 9's, 13-5; Cartersville 9/10B beat Bartow 10s, 10-0; Cartersville 9/10A outplayed Rome-Floyd County, 14-0;

In 8-and-under GRPA Baseball results, Dalton beat Bartow, 12-4 and Cartersville defeated Bartow 12-4;

In the 12-and-under GRPA Baseball results, Cartersville defeated Bartow 14-2.

Tourney wrap-up

On Monday in the 7-year-old Dizzy Dean District 2 Final, the Oregon Park Sharks outscored New Hope, 20-19.

The win gave Oregon Park the district title. The two teams combined for 44 hits. New Hope, who eliminated host team Bartow on Sunday, scrambled from three runs down to tie the score at 19 in the visitor half of the sixth inning. Oregon Park manufactured a run in the home half of the sixth to take the district title.