Gordon Lee sweeps Mt. Paran in pair of extra-inning thrillfests

The Gordon Lee Trojans, ranked No. 1 in Class 1A Public last week by Score Atlanta and the No. 2 team in the most current GHSA Class 1A Public power rankings, showed their moxie last week with a pair of dramatic extra-inning victories over Atlanta-area rival Mount Paran Christian.

Gordon Lee 7, Mt. Paran 3

Wednesday afternoon in Kennesaw, the Trojans scored four times in the top of the 10th inning before finally putting away the homestanding Eagles.

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a solo homer by Samford University commitment Andrew Bennett. However, the Trojans would tie things up in the top of the fourth as Cody Thomas brought in Brody Cobb with a sacrifice fly.

That would be all the scoring until the ninth inning when Thomas came through with a two-out RBI-single to score J.D. Day and pinch runner Jacob Neal would race home on a Mt. Paran throwing error at the end of the play.But the Eagles would manage two runs of their own in the bottom of the ninth inning and the game would go 3-3 into the 10th frame.

In the top of the 10th, Cade Peterson, Nate Dunfee and Will Sizemore led off the inning with three straight singles to load the bases before Day brought home the first run of the inning with an RBI-single. A passed ball would allow Dunfee to motor home and Cobb would then draw a walk. After a strikeout, Jake Wright would pick up an RBI on a fielder’s choice before Thomas delivered his third RBI of the game on a single.

Wright, who came in to pitch with two runners on and nobody out in the bottom of the ninth, gave up a one-out single in the bottom of the 10th, but got back-toback strikeouts to finally end the game.

The senior picked up the victory in relief, allowing a walk and two hits with three strikeouts in two innings of work. Jake Poindexter worked the first eight innings, but got no decision. He gave up just the one run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts before being replaced by Tanner Wilson to start the ninth.

Dunfee and Thomas both had two hits to pace the offense, while Bennett went 3 for 5 for the Eagles.

Gordon Lee 2, Mt. Paran 1

Another thriller took place in Chickamauga on Thursday

as a walk-off home run by Cobb to start the bottom of the eighth gave the Navyand-White the sweep of the season series.

Gordon Lee picked up its first run of the night in the bottom of the third inning. Peterson led off the inning with a single and later scored on a two-out double by Day. Mt. Paran answered with a run in the top of the fourth as a hit batsman was sandwiched around a pair of twoout singles.

After the Trojans sat the Eagles down in the top of the eighth, Cobb strode to the plate to greet new Mt. Paran pitcher Landon Schwan and

ended the game on the very first pitch with a blast over the left field fence.

Bo Rhudy got the win in relief. He pitched the final three innings, allowing two hits and striking out three batters. Riley King threw the first five innings for the Trojans (7-2). He gave up just one earned run on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Day was the only Gordon Lee hitter with multiple hits as he went 2 for 4.

Bennett struck out 10 batters for the Eagles over seven innings. He gave up seven hits and a walk, while the run he allowed was earned. Schwan took the loss.

Mt. Paran matched Gordon Lee with eight hits on the day. Jake Williams led the way with two hits for the Eagles.