Both local teams posted first-round sweeps on Friday and thereby avoided having to play decisive Game 3s on Saturday.
Now it’s on to bigger and better things for the Jackets and Tigers, who are the only two Greater Rome teams to survive the first round. Adairsville, Model and Chattooga were each eliminated.
This week, No. 2-ranked Calhoun (25-2) will host Heard County in the Sweet 16 of the Class AA event, and No. 3-ranked Darlington (20-2) will host Eagles Landing Christian in the second round of the Class A tourney.
Both of those best-of-three series will begin with doubleheaders on Wednesday, with the “if-necessary” game to be played on Thursday. Starting times for the games have not yet been announced.
Calhoun advanced to the Sweet 16 by sweeping Fannin County, 6-5 and 14-5, at Shorter College on Friday. Darlington earned its ticket to the next round after downing Mount Paran, 11-3 and 2-1, at home.
Calhoun and Darlington are both top seeds in their respective tournaments, but neither team had an easy time in the first round.
“It wasn’t one of our best performances of the year but we did some good things at the right time,” said Calhoun coach Chip Henderson.
“Honestly, I feel very fortunate to have won that second game,” said Darlington coach Chad Woods.
Chattooga and Model, the No. 2 and 4 seeds from Region 7-AA, were both swept on Friday — the Devils fell to top-seeded Jefferson on the road, and the Indians were upset by third-seeded Banks County at home.
Adairsville, the No. 3 seed from 7-AA, took North Oconee to three games before losing the decisive contest on Saturday.
In Calhoun’s opening-round series against Fannin, the Jackets trailed 4-3 in the fourth inning of the opener, but rallied back to win on a clutch hit from Jordan Poole.
Carter Harrison’s two-run double in the fourth inning was another key knock for the Jackets in the comeback win. Harrison also earned the pitching decision.
“Carter Harrison just has a bulldog mentality,” said Henderson. “He’s going to go out and battle and we knew going into it that he was going to keep us in the game.”
Michael Johnson finished with a pair of doubles for the Jackets, who took a three-run lead in the first inning after consecutive singles by Daniel McArthur, Michael Johnson, Mott Hyde. But the rest of the game was a struggle for the Jackets.
“(Fannin County) is a scrappy bunch and a tough ball club. They’re well coached,” said Henderson.
Calhoun’s defense, led by outfielders Zach Bradley Blain Steely and Chaz McCormick had a key role in the win. All three outfielders made diving catches that saved one or more runs.
The second game was all Calhoun.
The Jackets scored six runs in the first two innings, and stayed in command from there.
Hyde and Poole both had RBI singles during the early rallies, and Harrison had a two-run double.
The Yellow Jackets blew the game open with four runs in the fifth on three hits. Johnson and Harrison both drove in runs during the big inning.
Still, by the end of the day, the Jackets knew they had been tested.
“Fannin County battled us,” said Henderson. “We’re fortunate to be moving on to the second round.”
— Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer Rick Winters contributed to this report.
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