Gordon Lee players celebrate after the final out in Game 2 Monday night as the Trojans swept Pepperell in the best-of-three GHSA state baseball championship at AdventHealth Stadium.

GHSA Class 1A Division I: Gordon Lee tops Pepperell for state crown

ROME, Ga. -- Peyton Groce drifted just beyond the infield turf behind first base, called for the pop up, then snagged the ball into his glove.

Then the party erupted at the pitcher's mound.

Gordon Lee (32-3) held on for a 7-6 victory in Game 2 of the best-of-three Georgia High School Association Class 1A Division I championship series Monday night at AdventHealth Stadium for the Trojans' first state baseball title since the school went back-to-back in 2018-19. Gordon Lee won the first game of the series 5-2.

Closer Jackson Scali shut down the Dragons in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the victory after Pepperell had made things too close for comfort in the sixth when they erased a 7-3 Trojan lead, cutting it to a one-run game with a trio of runs.

Maddox Millard earned the victory, outdueling Pepperell ace Cade Middleton who was stuck with a hard-luck loss.

After Gordon Lee took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, the Dragons (31-9) responded and took a 2-1 advantage on RBI singles from Madoc Garcia and Chris Alphin before the Trojans grabbed the lead for good in the third inning on an RBI single from Dustin Day who later scored on a passed ball to give Gordon Lee a 3-2 lead. The Trojans scored four more in the top of the fourth to take a commanding 7-2 lead.

In Game 1, Gordon Lee's Aiden Goodwin allowed just two runs on four hits to earn the complete-game victory on the mound. Meanwhile, Groce and leadoff hitter Brady Little paced Gordon Lee's eight-hit attack with three hits each. Little finished with two doubles and three RBIs.