Lady Canes shake off early miscues, ride to a win over Raiders
Rocky Start in Dalton
The Cartersville Lady Canes made the trip up to Dalton to face the Southeast Whitfield Raiders, in a matchup moved for weather but still played as a Cartersville home game. The game didn’t start clean for the Lady Canes, as two errors in the opening frame put them in a quick hole. The Raiders took advantage, scoring twice with Piper Shoemake crossing on a passed ball and Chyann Blevins driving in Rylee Shuler with an RBI single.
Cartersville answered right back in the bottom half. LaKiaya Banks ripped a leadoff double down the right field line, was moved over with a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a Zoie Shiflett RBI single. With Sam Evans running for Shiflett, the courtesy runner later came around to score on a Sophia Harper RBI, evening things up at 2-2.
Cartersville Finds Its Rhythm
Both teams went quietly in the second, but the third inning tilted the momentum Cartersville’s way. Blevins began to lose command, and the Lady Canes stayed patient at the plate. Two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with no outs. Sophia Harper logged another RBI on a sac fly to bring in Kinsey Woodard, and Sam Evans later scored on an Izzy Tummins sac fly, and Cartersville took a 4-3 lead it wouldn’t give back.
Shiflett handled the first four innings in the circle, giving up three hits and three unearned runs, with one walk and three strikeouts. The early defensive miscues didn’t do her any favors early, but once Cartersville cleaned things up, Shiflett was steady enough to hand the ball off with a lead.
Add More Runs
The fourth inning saw Cartersville add more separation. Miley Jo Williams singled to lead off, and Banks followed with a ground-rule double to put two runners in scoring position. Williams came home on a wild pitch, and Banks later scored on a Woodard sacrifice, stretching the lead to 6-3.
Banks was key throughout the game, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. She was just as impressive in the field, showing quick reactions and range at shortstop. Her willingness to leave her feet and make tough plays showed her value on both sides of the ball.
Crabbe Slams the Door
The turning point came when Presley Crabbe entered in the fifth. From the moment she stepped into the circle, she owned the game. Crabbe struck out two in the fifth, two more in the sixth, and two more in the seventh, six in total over three hitless innings. She didn’t walk a batter, commanded the zone, and left the Raiders completely off balance.
Cartersville Head Coach Glen Woodard commented on Crabbe afterward, saying, “Presley Crabbe came in and did exactly what we wanted her to do. She kept batters off balance with her screw and change.” The Raiders never had an answer, failing to record a hit against her.
Meanwhile, the Lady Canes kept adding runs. In the fifth, Taryn Bradley singled and eventually scored on a Banks sacrifice fly to make it 7-3. The sixth brought two more, with Sam Porter drawing a one out walk with Avaree Sellers coming in to run. Sophia Harper then lined an RBI-single, bringing Sellers across the plate. Izzy Tummins then capped the scoring with a two-out RBI single to set the final at 9-3.
Harper finished the day 1-for-3, driving in three RBIs and scoring a run. The Canes consistently found ways to get runners into scoring position and cashed them in, doing whatever it took to bring the runs across.
Cartersville improved to 22-2 on the season, and is a very strong player in GHSA Class 4A as the season rolls on.
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