Newnan swept Houstin County to capture the Georgia High School Association Class 5A state baseball championship (Photo credit: Georgis High School Association)

GHSA Class 5A: Newnan sweeps past Houston County for state title

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Newnan High School combined for 14 runs in a pair of victories to sweep Houston County Monday night in the best-of-three Georgia High School Association Class 5A state baseball championship at Coolray Field.

The Cougars (32-5) took Game 1, 3-1, then rolled to an 11-1 run-rule victory in the nightcap to sweep the powerhouse Bears (33-7) who were seeking their third state championship in the past five seasons. Instead, Newnan won its third baseball championship in school history and first since the 1991 season when the Cougars played in Class 4A, then the state's highest classification.

Newnan used a dominant pitching performance from Hayes McGinnis in Game 1 to set the tone for the series. He allowed just a run on seven hits and fanned 10 batters. The Cougars rook a 2-0 lead in the third inning when McGinnis' sacrifice fly and Brodie Campbell's RBI single gave Newnan a two-run advantage.

Isaiah Galason's solo homer in the fourth cut the margin in half, but Newnan added a run in its half of the fourth to take a 3-1 advantage. With McGinnis in control, it was all the Cougars needed.

Then in the nightcap, Newnan rode its momentum to a five-inning mercy-rule victory. The Cougars scored to open the first inning, added three more in the third, then piled on seven runs in the top of the fourth. That was all starter Jaden Hill needed who allowed Houston County just a run on four hits.