CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. - All Noah Peterson wanted was a chance for redemption after struggling in the field throughout the game.
The Gordon Lee senior got that chance with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth and his team down by a run, and he didn't waste it.
Peterson's walk-off grand slam lifted second-ranked Gordon Lee over King's Ridge 9-6 in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday night in the best-of-three series to determine the Region 6-A baseball champion.
"It was huge," Peterson said. "It was big for the team to be able to come through for them, being a senior."
Said Gordon Lee coach Mike Dunfee: "I told him before the at-bat that I don't care, I love you whatever happens. It was exciting for him to have a little adversity there and not let it get to him and come through big for his team."
Gordon Lee (20-5) took the lead in the third inning, scoring four runs with two outs to go up 4-2 on RBI singles by Dylan Minghini and Austin Thompson.
The Trojans' defense struggled throughout the game, though, committing five errors. Starting pitcher Ethan Clark was able to limit the damage, giving up four runs in five innings.
King's Ridge (18-7) regained the lead in the sixth inning, going up 5-4 on an RBI single by Lawson Hill, but the Trojans forced the extra inning with another RBI by Manghini.
The excitement of the walk-off grand slam the next inning wasn't just felt by the players.
"I tried to calm them down before the next game," Dunfee said. "It was tough because I got emotional, too. It was a great game. They're a great team."
The second game did not go the Trojans' way, as they lost 9-6.
Gordon Lee took a 5-2 lead in the second after the Tigers committed three errors in the inning. But King's Ridge scored three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to take a two-run lead into the seventh.
Reliever Carter Buchanan closed the door in the final inning after the Trojans loaded the bases again with two outs to force a decisive third game.
"Tomorrow matters," Dunfee said. "It's for a region championship. It will also help prepare us for the state playoff atmosphere. I'm excited for our kids."
Contact Kevin Llewallyn at sports@timesfreepress.com.