The Colonels have been hot of late and remained in sync offensively, notching 11 hits on the day.
"Last night and today, we hit the ball very hard," Cass coach Todd Eubanks said, also referencing his team's 8-1 over Creekview. "We hit a couple of home runs ... We [swung] the bat well, [got] double digits in hits. ... That's been the case all yearlong. When we're on and we're swinging the bats like that, we tend to win ball games."
The Colonels opened their offensive onslaught early with their 2-3-4 hitters supplying the production. Dalton Weightman hit an RBI double to score leadoff hitter Sam Ayers, and Tyler Gates and Dalton Parham then launched back-to-back home runs. Gates' two-run blast put Cass up 3-0 and the lead was four after one inning.
Engaging in a bit of home run derby, the Bruins put together a couple of three-run homers to take a 6-4 lead as Jarrett Bruce went yard with Zack Sloan following that effort a few batters later.
Parham hit a run-scoring groundout in the bottom of the second, and Connor Law's RBI double tied the game at 6-all.
Law returned the lead to Cass in the fifth with an RBI single, and Brandon Etheridge's two-run double and Chad Taylor's run-scoring double gave the Colonels a 10-6 lead.
Taylor added another RBI single in the sixth before Northwest scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to close the scoring.
Weightman pitched six innings for the victory, with eight hits, three earned runs, one walk and nine strikeouts.
Carter Thames pitched 2 1/3 innings in the loss, giving up two earned runs on two hits and one walk.
Cass hitters were Ayers, 1 for 3 (walk); Weightman, 2 for 3 (RBI, walk); Gates, 1 for 1 (two RBIs, walk); Parham, 1 for 3 (RBI, walk); Law, 2 for 4 (two RBIs); Taylor, 2 for 3 (two RBIs, walk); Cameron Ray, 1 for 3; and Etheridge, 1 for 2 (two RBIs).
Sloan (1 for 3) and Bruce (2 for 4) led the Bruins with three RBIs each. Other hitters included Nick Stavrow, 1 for 4; Austin Busby, 1 for 4; Scout Plott, 3 for 4; and Garrett Smith, 1 for 1.
Despite finishing the season without a loss in the final week, Cass -- which ended a season with a winning streak for the third straight time -- will not be headed to GHSA state tournament. The Colonels went 16-10, 12-8 in Region 7-AAAA, losing a tiebreaker to Chattahoochee (14-11, 12-8), who sewed up the fourth and final playoff spot from the region with a win over Northwest Friday.
It marks the second year Cass has lost out on a potential state berth due to tiebreakers. Last season Sprayberry beat out both the Colonels and South Paulding.
"We needed one more victory to be able to make the playoffs," Eubanks said. "That's the challenge next year -- don't put ourselves in a position where we're wondering what if."
Cass could benefit from this season's experience of fighting through injuries and playing some younger kids.
"We had a lot of things going on this year between injuries and sickness" and guys playing varsity for the first time, Eubanks said. "The fact that we had a winning record is nice."
The Colonels produced their fifth consecutive winning season in 2011.
Cass 8, Creekview 1
In Friday's home game, the Colonels ran off seven straight runs to put away the Grizzlies.
Cass led 1-0 after Parham's sacrifice fly in the first, but the Grizzlies tied the game on Ryan Zentko's second-inning homer.
Cameron Ray put the Colonels ahead for good on another sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second.
Law added an RBI double in the third and came home on an error to give Cass a 4-0 advantage.
Ayers' sacrifice bunt plated a run in the fourth, and another Creekview error made it 6-0 for the Colonels.
Taylor hit an RBI single in the fifth, and Gates' run-scoring fielder's choice in the sixth helped seal the win.
Leading Cass' offensive production were Ayers, 1 for 3; Weightman, 2 for 4; Gates, 1 for 3 (RBI, walk); Law, 1 for 3 (RBI); Taylor, 1 for 2 (RBI); Ray, 2 for 2 (RBI); and Taylor Bentley, 2 for 3.
Zentko, Tyler Martin, Tyler Childers and Eric Degen had the only hits for the Grizzlies.
Gates struck out nine for Cass, throwing a complete-game, four-hitter. He gave up one earned run and no walks.
Will Garner (one inning, one hit, one earned run) picked up the loss for Creekview.