Troup, LaGrange fight for position

Published 12:47 am Wednesday, April 3, 2019

By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The Troup Tigers have put themselves in prime position to chase down another region championship.

The Tigers won the region title outright in 2016 and 2017, and they shared the top spot with the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes last year.

As the Tigers approach the halfway point of their region schedule, they’re very much in the hunt for yet another region crown.

Troup, which beat Chapel Hill 10-3 on Monday, is 4-1 in the region, and it is a half-game behind Cartersville, which is 5-1.

Troup and Cartersville split their two games last week, including Friday’s marathon game that went 10 innings.

Cartersville won Friday’s game 2-1 after losing to Troup 4-1 earlier in the week.

If they finish tied, Troup would win the tie-breaker, which is based on the run differential in the head-to-head games.

The red-hot LaGrange Grangers are also still in the title picture.

LaGrange has won five consecutive games to improve to 5-2 in the region, with both of the losses coming to Cartersville.

LaGrange made it five in a row with Monday’s dramatic 7-6 victory over Cedartown.

The Grangers won it in the bottom of the seventh inning on a walk-off hit by Trent Bailey.

Cedartown, which lost to LaGrange on Monday, is also in solid shape in the region with a 3-2 record.

Chapel Hill and Central-Carroll are 2-5 in the region, and Sandy Creek is 0-5.

The region’s top four teams will qualify for the state playoffs, and the first-place and second-place teams will host a first-round series.

Troup and LaGrange will both be on the road today for region games.

Troup will look for a second straight win over Chapel Hill, while LaGrange will try to complete a season sweep of Cedartown.

Troup has another region game on Friday against Sandy Creek at home, while LaGrange finishes its week with a non-region home game against Northgate on Thursday.

LaGrange and Troup close their region schedules with games against each other.

Troup hosts the game on April 15, and the scene shifts to LaGrange for the game on April 17.

REGION STANDINGS

Cartersville                              5-1

Troup                                      4-1

LaGrange                               5-2

Cedartown                             3-2

Chapel Hill                             2-5

Central-Carroll                     2-5

Sandy Creek                          0-5

(top four teams make playoffs)