VALDOSTA — In a finale that mirrored their fantastic season, Lowndes varsity baseball clinched the state championship title for the second consecutive year. The Vikings journeyed to Gwinnett County to face their final hurdle, the formidable Rams of Grayson High School, on the esteemed Coolray Field.

After a slight delay in game one, the Vikings and Rams battled it out on the diamond into the night. In the end, Lowndes took the series 2-0, solidifying this season as one to remember.

In a nail-biter game one, the Vikings took a walk-off win in the 10th inning after being down 3-2. Noah Thigpen got the start for Lowndes, pitching nine innings. Thigpen had seven strikeouts, five hits, and only gave out two freebies. Ty Macera took the mound in the 10th inning with two strikeouts and one base-on-ball.

Alex Espinoza started for the Rams, staying on the mound for seven innings. Espinoza threw eight hits, five base-on-balls, and three strikeouts. Cole Wright relieved the mound to pitch two innings, with one hit, one base-on-balls, and one strikeout.

The game’s first run came off the bat of Thigpen, with a single to centerfield scoring Tate Sirmans. The Rams tied the game in the third inning with an error, resulting in Elijah Miller scoring a run.

Grayson took the lead in the fifth from a double to left field from Espinoza, scoring a run. The Vikings answered with a sacrifice fly from Jordan Hudson in the bottom of the seventh to keep the game alive.

It would be the 10th inning before the game’s final runs would be scored. Grayson took the lead, 3-2, after a balk from the Vikings. In the bottom of the 10th, Lowndes’ Ashton Bohler snatched the game from the Rams with a fly ball to left field to score two. The Vikings won game one 4-2.

In the final game of the day and the state championship, the Vikings took the game 4-2 in a complete seven innings.

Matthew Kerrigan started for the Vikings, pitching for an inning and two outs. Kerrigan had two strikeouts and no hits before being relieved by Macera, who pitched for four innings and two outs. Macera threw seven hits and five hits. Bohler took over for the last two outs of the game with one strikeout.

Thigpen scored the game’s first run again in the third inning with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. The Rams retaliated with their own sacrifice fly from Miller to tie the game. Bohler took the lead for the Vikings in the sixth with a single to center field to score Hudson.

The Vikings secured their lead in the seventh, scoring two more runs. An error at first base after a ground ball from Thigpen scored one run, and a fielder’s choice from Hudson’s ground ball to third base scored Lowndes’ last run of the season. The Rams would attempt to return the game but could only manage one run off of a single from Adrian Figueroa. The game ended 4-2.

With back-to-back state championships, the Lowndes baseball program continues to stand as a powerhouse in high school athletics. With a ring ceremony in the near future, the team, especially the seniors, can take in their accomplishments.