Canes sink Pirates to win 11/12 GRPA state title
by Staff Report
Jul 13, 2010 | 1102 views | 0 0 comments | 12 12 recommendations | email to a friend | print
The Cartersville Canes' 11- to 12-year-old "A" team won the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association state tournament by forcing the Savannah Pirates to tap out in the bottom of the fourth inning, giving the Canes a 15-4 state championship victory on Saturday.

Jacob Woods' three-run home run spurred the Canes to an early first-inning lead as did RBIs from Boo Reed (two), Grant Tidwell (two), Brandon Reaves (two), Joe Jolly and Hayden Siniard.

Also providing hits were Dustin Hanks, Trenton Frazier, Bret Phinney and Parker Tidwell.

Phinney went the distance for the win, giving up only two hits while striking out eight in four innings.

The Pirates surrendered -- declining their fourth inning at-bat -- before the Canes could put the finishing touches on a solid team performance throughout the tournament, where every member contributed to the team's state championship.

In reaching the finals, the Canes advanced through the winners' bracket, beating the Savannah Astros, 8-1, in the first game of the tournament on Wednesday behind the pitching of Siniard, Frazier and Reed. Reed (three RBIs, two hits) and Hanks (two RBIs, one hit) led the team offensively. Frazier (two hits), Phinney, Woods (RBI), Siniard, Tyler Darnell and Harrison Osborn each contributed hits in the win.

In the second game of the tournament, Cartersville defeated the Pirates for the first time, 17-4, behind the pitching of Woods, Osborn and Hanks. The offense was powered by Boo Reed's six RBIs on a double and grand slam and Grant Tidwell's three RBIs on two home runs and a double.

Phinney (two RBIs) and Darnell (RBI) each had two hits, and Osborn (two RBIs), Hanks, Reaves, Frazier, Woods, Siniard and Parker Tidwell each had a hit in the win.

The Canes had to rally for a 4-3 win over the Valdosta Titletown team in their third game.

Reed got Cartersville on the board with a solo home run in the first inning, but the Canes gave up the lead to Titletown, 3-1, in the third inning. Joe Jolly's sold relief pitching, backed by a couple of key plays from Frazier and Reed, helped stop Valdosta from scoring any more runs.

The Canes battled back in the fifth inning off the timely hitting of Reaves and the base running of Grant Tidwell and Reaves, as both players were able to take advantage of an errant throw to reach second and third base on Reaves' hit. Tidwell and Reaves both scored on separate passed balls to tie the game, setting Cartersville up for the win in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Frazier led off the sixth with a single and moved to second base on Reed's walk. Woods then drove the ball to left center field for the game-winning RBI as Frazier strolled home easily on the hit to send the Canes into the finals with the one-run win.

Siniard, Jolly, Reed and Woods combined for the win.

The Canes' next action comes in the Georgia Little League state tournament July 24-30 in Columbus.