Bulldogs get strong start to season on the diamond
The prep baseball season officially got underway last week with both Cedartown and Rockmart varsity squads finding some success.
The Cedartown Bulldogs got the stronger start of the two, opening the season with back-to-back wins over Calhoun and Darlington on the road. Cedartown scored 21 runs in 11 innings across the two contests and did not allow an earned run.
The Bulldogs (2-0) started the regular season with a 10-0 shutout at Calhoun on Monday, Feb. 13, in five innings. Cedartown scored nine runs in the top of the third inning to seal the nonregion victory.
Pitcher Britt Baxter gave a stellar performance on the mound, going the complete game and striking out nine while allowing just one hit and one walk against the Yellow Jackets.
Cedartown scored four runs in the third and six in the fifth to take a 10-0 lead over Darlington before winning 11-1 in six innings on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Eli Barrow had three RBIs in the non-region game.
The Bulldogs’ home opener against South Paulding originally scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 15, was canceled.
Rockmart split its first two games of the season with the Jackets defeating Pepperell 5-1 at home on Wednesday, Feb. 15, and then falling to the Dragons 4-3 in walk-off fashion Friday in Lindale.
Trey Luke allowed one hit and struck out seven in four innings of Rockmart’s season opener while Hunter Atkins had two RBIs.
Rockmart held a 3-0 lead in Friday’s away game before Pepperell scored three runs in the sixth and the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh.
Cedartown plays in the Georgia Dugout Club Tournament this weekend at LakePoint Sports Complex in Bartow County while Rockmart plays in another tournament on the road. The two teams will meet Wednesday, March 1, at Cedartown for a 5:55 p.m. first pitch.
TENNIS
Rockmart’s varsity tennis teams got wins in their first matches of the season last week as both the boys and girls topped visiting Pepperell at Rockmart High School on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
The Jackets won by a final tally of 3-2. Mark Blalock won 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 in a match tiebreak, while Ty Carlton won 1-6, 6-4, 14-12 in a match tiebreak in singles competition.
In doubles, Anderson McLendon and Donovan Scoggins won 6-2, 6-3 for Rockmart.
Rockmart’s girls swept the Lady Dragons 5-0. Emma Scott won at No. 1 singles 6-1, 7-5. Ansley Lanier took No. 2 singles 6-2, 6-4, and Chloe Moates won by match tiebreaker at No. 3 singles, 3-6, 7-5, 11-9.
Ava Shae Culver and Summer
Waits won at No. 1 doubles, 6-4, 6-4, while Rockmart’s No. 2 doubles team of Emma Barber and Madi Sanders
won 6-1, 6-0.
Rockmart will host Rome High on Tuesday, Feb. 21, and Woodland on Thursday, Feb. 23, before traveling across the county to take on rival Cedartown on Monday, Feb. 27. Matches start at 4 p.m. each day.