By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

CARTERSVILLE – The LaGrange Grangers hung in there early, but it was the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes eventually pulling away for a 14-4 victory on Thursday afternoon.

LaGrange fell to 2-2 in Region 5-AAAA, and it will be at home against Sandy Creek today.

After plating a run in the top of the third inning, the Grangers had a 4-3 lead, but the Purple Hurricanes scored the final 11 runs in a game that was shortened to five innings because of the run rule.

Cartersville had 16 hits against five different pitchers, and Mason Barnett led the way with a home run, a triple, and three RBIs.

Ian Inaba and Devin Warner had three hits apiece, and they combined for five RBIs.

Ben Farrar had a double and an RBI for the Grangers, Will Alford and Charles Crawford each had a hit and an RBI, and Trent Bailey drove in a run.

Logan Karcher had two hits and a run scored, and Brant Williams scored a run and had a hit.

In the top of the first, Cole Freeman reached on an error and moved to third on a Karcher base hit, and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Bailey.

After Cartersville scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead, LaGrange answered with two runs in the top of the second.

Williams reached on a one-out single and advanced to second on a Walton Lanier sacrifice bunt, and Farrar’s RBI double tied the score.

Next up was Crawford, and his RBI single scored Farrar and gave the Grangers a 3-2 lead.

Cartersville tied it in the bottom of the second, and LaGrange scored its final run in the top of the third.

Karcher singled and Bailey was hit by a pitch, and with one out, Alford’s RBI single gave the Grangers the lead.

LaGrange will look to move back above .500 in the region with a win today.