The Purple Hurricanes whiffed on their chance to put a stranglehold on first place in Region 7-AAA. Three teams -- with Ringgold the final team -- now share first place for the time being.
The Bucs, who were hosting Senior Night for the school's first graduating class, broke a tie in the bottom of the fifth inning when first baseman Nick Hall hit deep fly ball to center field. Cartersville center fielder Zach Ross made a great haul at the warning track, but Allatoona's Clate Schmidt, who walked to reach base, tagged up from third base to give the Bucs a 2-1 lead.
After a 30-minute weather delay due to lightning in the area, Schmidt retired the Canes in order in the bottom of the seventh, striking out the first and last batters of the inning.
Schmidt earned the victory for the Bucs, tossing a complete game four-hitter. Cartersville's Ben Dittmer, who pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up five hits and two runs in the loss.
Connor Justus, Luke Daniel (double), Ben Venters (double, RBI) and Colin Bennett picked up hits for the Canes.
Allatoona's hits came from Schmidt, Austin Rogers, Elliot Blakes (two) and Marlon Melendez.
The Canes surged ahead in the first inning following Venters' RBI double to the gap in right-center field to drive in leadoff hitter Connor Justus, who was hit by the game's first pitch.
Cartersville's 1-0 lead did not last through the next half inning, though, as Allatoona got a leadoff single and then a walk from Schmidt and Rogers, respectively, in the bottom of the first. Blakes moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt, and the left-handed Hall pushed Schmidt across the plate on a run-scoring groundout to Venters, the Canes' second baseman.
Things remained knotted at 1-all for the next three innings, even after play resumed in the bottom of the fourth following the game's first weather delay -- due to a period of heavy rain.
The Bucs caught a break in the fifth when Cartersville Dittmer walked two of three batters to start the inning. Dittmer exited the game for Kendall Hawkins, who gave up a hit to Blakes to load the bases. Allatoona scored the eventual game-winning run a batter later as Hall produced a sacrifice fly.
The Bucs (21-3, 18-2) sit tied for first place in the region with the Canes (20-4, 18-2) and Tigers (21-2, 18-2).
Cartersville plays Pickens Thursday before closing the regular season at Ridgeland Friday. Both games start at 5:55 p.m.