STILL GOING STRONG

♦ Rockmart, Cedartown continue winning ways after tying up rivalry series.

Baseball has come to Polk County this season and both Rockmart and Cedartown are proving they are both contenders in their respective classifications.

Cedartown is 6-3 after picking up a 9-0 road win at Carrollton last Tuesday, handing the Trojans their first home loss of the season. The Class 4A Bulldogs scored two runs in the first, three in the second and another threespot in the sixth to wrap up their offense against Carrollton, a 7A school.

Xavier Holiday got the win on the mound for Cedartown throwing six innings and striking out four while allowing just three hits.

Rockmart, meanwhile, swept Region 7-AA opponent Gordon Central in a three-game series last week to improve to 6-4 this season. The Yellow Jackets got wins of 11-1, 15-0 and 14-0 over the Warriors as they played a doubleheader at Rockmart High School on Tuesday and a single game on Wednesday.

Lone senior Brayden Loyd struck out seven in five innings to get the win for Rockmart in the first game of the doubleheader as the Jackets celebrated Senior Night with an 11-1 win to start out. Nolan Clemons and Rob Yagyu each had two RBIs.

Clemons and Braedyn Roberson then split time on the mound in the nightcap to combine for a no-hitter as Rockmart racked up 10 hits and 15 runs in four innings to claim the runrule victory.

The Jackets continued their dominance over Gordon Central the next night, putting up 11 runs in the second inning on the way to a 14-0 win in five innings. Neyland Hulsey had three RBIs to lead Rockmart at the plate.

Cedartown and Rockmart started the month off by facing each other in a home-and-home series that ended with a split as each team won on their home field. Cedartown held off the Jackets 5-4 on March 1, while Rockmart won 2-1 on March 4 on a walkoff hit by Clemons in the bottom of the eighth.

In the first contest, Cedartown led 5-2 at Cedartown High School before Rockmart pushed across two runs in the top of the seventh. Yagyu and Calliyon Thompson each had two-out RBI singles in the seventh before a high fly ball by Hulsey was caught by Cedartown’s Reece Tanner to end the game.

Tanner struck out nine over six innings while also reaching base on three walks. Dylan Cupp drew three walks, and Eli Barrow, and Tony Ware had two hits each.

Meeting again three days later, Cedartown and Rockmart once again

played a nail biter, this time at Rockmart High School’s field as the two teams went to extra innings after playing to a 1-1 tie after seven.

With two outs and runners on second and third in the bottom of the eighth, Clemons hit the ball to the gap in right center field to bring home the winning run.

Rockmart pitcher Hunter Atkins struck out seven and walked three in six innings, while Copeland Payne had a walk and a strikeout in the seventh and eighth with no hits to pick up the win.

Clemons finished 2-for-2 after coming in for Easton Petty in the seventh inning. Atkins went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Cupp led Cedartown at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a triple, while Britt Baxter was 1-for2 with an RBI and a walk.

Jeremy Stewart Rockmart pitcher Hunter Atkins goes through his delivery during a game against Cedartown at Rockmart High School on March 4. The Yellow Jackets won the game 2-1 on a walkoff hit in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Jeremy Stewart Cedartown’s Denver Nale (11) throws the ball to first base for an out in the third inning of a game against Rockmart on March 4.

Jeremy Stewart Rockmart’s Calliyon Thompson reaches out to grab the ball on an infield hit before throwing it to first base during a game against Cedartown on March 4.