ROSWELL — North Cobb Christian is headed to the Class A Private state finals after sweeping Fellowship Christian in a best-of-three semifinal series Monday.
After a three-run home run by Michael Mullinax in the top of the seventh inning gave the Eagles a 6-4 victory in Game 1, they shut the Paladins out 6-0 to clinch the series.
North Cobb Christian (30-7) advanced to the state championship series, where it will face either Cobb County and Region 6A rival Mount Paran Christian or Wesleyan beginning next Tuesday at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville. Those teams — last year’s state champion and runner-up, respectively — were set to play the decisive third game of their series Wednesday.
It will be North Cobb Christian’s first opportunity at a state championship since 2007, when it was still a member of the Georgia Independent School Association. The Eagles are aiming for their first state championship since winning the GISA Class AAA crown in 2006.
“It’s really special,” said North Cobb Christian coach Jimmy Keane, who was a senior on that GISA championship squad. “It’s special for these guys. It’s just special for the school itself, and it’s a testament to how far we’ve come.”
North Cobb Christian jumped out to an early lead in the first game as it scored a run each in the second, fourth and fifth innings to go up 3-0.
However, Fellowship Christian (28-5) came right back in the bottom of the sixth as Cooper Davidson hit a three-run homer to give the Paladins a 4-3 advantage.
Things began to turn back in North Cobb Christian’s favor in the top of the seventh when Carlos Martans led off the inning by being hit by a pitch and Brock Parker walked to set up Mullinax’s three-run homer to give the Eagles their Game 1 victory.
“He’s been doing that all year,” Keane said of Mullinax. “He’s done what he’s done almost every single game, when we needed to do something. Guys got on base before he came up, and it took a lot of guys before him to get on base to make that happen, but a super-amazing moment for the program right there.”
Mullinax was 2-for-4 with a homer, four RBIs and a run, while Stinson was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run.
Ryan Kelly pitched two innings of relief to take the win on the mound.
In Game 2, North Cobb Christian scored four runs in the bottom of the third and single runs in the second and sixth innings to claim the win.
Mattheson Go’s lead-off homer sparked the Eagles’ four-run third, while Jackson Uggla — the son of former Atlanta Braves All-Star Dan Uggla — added an RBI single and Reid Morlan a two-run double.
“These guys have been challenged all year.” Keane said. “They’ve committed everything they do to the Lord, and I think it’s just shown that he’ll put good faith in your plans if you put faith in him.”
Go was 2-for-3 with his homer and RBI, while Uggla was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run. Martans was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Blake Dean and Ryan Kelly combined for a five-hit shutout on the mound.
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