Photo by Buford High School
In Class AAAA, Union Grove jumped seven slots to No. 2 after going 5-0 in the Buccaneer Bash. They beat ranked opponents Heritage-Catoosa, Kennesaw Mountain and Lassiter; outside the tournament they topped then No. 3 Ola 5-0.
One of the hosts in the Buccaneer Bash, Allatoona, loves the situation and environment set in tournament play. “A tournament gives me the chance to play some kids and give them experience to contribute,” said Bucs coach Troy Pirkle. “With a region game, there may not be as much rotation with the lineup, there may not be as many subs as there are in a tournament game. Winning is good, but you are also trying to get some kids some experience in case something happens along the way they will have some experience of being in a varsity game.”
Elsewhere in Cobb, fourth-ranked Harrison defeated Lassiter 6-0 on Monday to extend their unbeaten record to 10-0. In a game against South Cobb last week, Kayla Caruso tossed a perfect game. Things did not work out as well the next day when she came in for relief, but still worked out of a jam to preserve a 4-3 victory over Etowah. In the seventh, she avoided a big inning after the defense made two errors. “We could have folded, but these girls took the pressure well, and that could go a long way for us down the road,” Harrison coach Olivia Petersen told the Marietta Daily Journal. “We made plays at the end to hold on for the win.”
