The Griffin Christian Crusaders finally won a battle of Crusaders — after losing to Robert Toombs in the football and basketball playoffs, GC broke through and won in baseball, sweeping the Robert Toombs Academy Crusaders 11-6 and 16-5 in the best-of-three series to advance to the second round of the GISA Class AA playoffs.

No. 5 state-ranked GCHS improves to 18-5 while Robert Toombs ends its season at 11-11.

GCHS 11, RTA 6 (Game 1): The Crusaders hit three two-run home runs in Game 1, including a shot to right field by starting pitcher Jordan Piland to give GCHS the lead for good at 7-6. GCHS trailed early in the game 4-1 before the homestanding Crusaders got back in the game. GCHS got two ground-out RBIs in the fourth inning to cut the lead to 4-3 and then Mitch Kimbell finished the rally with a two-run homer to right center (his first) for GC’s first lead of the game at 5-4.

RTA scored two more runs in the top of the fifth to get its lead back at 6-5 before Piland’s two-run shot. RBIs from Lee Neidert and Kimbell made the score 9-6 in the fifth and Wade Palmer’s monster two-run shot to center in the sixth made the final margin 11-6.

GCHS 16, RTA 5 (Game 2): Griffin Christian rallied from a 2-1 deficit with a 6-run third inning to put it up 7-2 and helped it win the second and final game of the series, 16-5.

The Crusaders took advantage of four RTA errors in the third to get the lead for good. The hot-hitting Crusaders from Griffin Christian got another homer, this time a 3-run shot by Adam Smith, who also scored four runs. Palmer went 3-for-4 (3 doubles) and scored 3 runs.