McDONOUGH — Meaningful at-bats eluded Mount Paran Christian as it lost its bid for its first state championship after getting swept 5-1 and 4-1 Saturday in the Class A private school state championship at Eagle’s Landing Christian. Mount Paran (28-5) produced nine hits in the doubleheader, but only one — Isaac Phillips’ double in Game 2 — went for extra bases. Meanwhile, Eagle’s Landing Christian (30-3) collected 13 hits, with three home runs and two doubles. The Chargers also took advantage by scoring a pair of two-out runs in the fourth and fifth innings of Game 2. Mount Paran walked away with another state runner-up crown, after doing the same in 2005, while Eagle’s Landing Christian earned its second state title after winning it all in 2006. “We had our opportunities,” Mount Paran coach Kyle Reese said. “There was no doubt. We had a chance to make a few plays that extended some of their innings, but you have to tip your hat to Eagle’s Landing. They were prepared. We were prepared, but they made their pitches and got the outs when they had to get them. “They had some scrappy at-bats that ended up giving them some room where they could work a little bit. We had some opportunities, and there have been times where we’ve capitalized on those this year. When you play a ball club like that across from you, if you don’t capitalize on it, it will come back and get you sometimes.” Mount Paran left the bases loaded in the first and seventh innings of Game 1. Not much else happened for the Eagles. Dalton Etheridge allowed one hit over six shutout innings as Eagle’s Landing Christian took a 5-0 lead. Tyler Flowers’ single to center field with two outs in the sixth broke the Eagles’ hitless streak. Mount Paran’s scoreless streak ended in the seventh. After Jake Palomaki singled and moved to second on a wild pitch, Taylor Trammell reached on an error and Ryan Murphy’s two-out single to right plated Palomaki for the Eagles’ lone run. Schnure singled to load the bases, but the game ended with a strikeout. “Game 1, we got bases loaded and just a routine base hit right there could have bust that thing open,” Reese said. On the other side, Eagle’s Landing Christian scored five runs off eight hits, including Dazmon Cameron’s fifth-inning home run. Cameron, the son of former major leaguer Mike Cameron, batted 2-for-3 with an RBI and scored twice. Andrew Gomez was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored, Matthew Hammer had an RBI and walked twice and Jacob Heyward collected an RBI single in the third. Hammer’s two-out single in the second scored Gomez who led off the inning with a double. Another two-out rally in the third scored Cameron and Heyward, the brother of Atlanta Braves star Jason Heyward for a 3-0 Chargers lead. Eagle’s Landing Christian scored its final run in the sixth off a throwing error that plated courtesy runner Matthew Barton, who was in for Cameron Ragsdale after he led off the frame with a single. Mount Paran did get a quality at-bat in the nightcap from Murphy, who singled home Landon Faulkner with two outs in the third. The Eagles were unable to hold on to the 1-0 advantage, however, as Heyward hit a two-out home run in the top of the fourth to knot the contest at 1-all. Back-to-back singles from Gomez and Etheridge led to Ragsdale’s two-out double that scored Gomez and put the Chargers in front to stay 2-1. D.J. Curl then got in on the action, belting a two-out homer in the fifth that also scored Cameron and lifted Eagle’s Landing Christian to the 4-1 final lead. “We talked about it all year long,” Reese said. “(Two outs is) when stuff happens. That’s when you really have to bear down. And a couple of times, I think it was two quick outs (before Eagle’s Landing Christian scored). “I don’t want to say we relaxed, but when you get those two quick outs, it has to be like a Game 7 right there. You really have to bear down.” Mount Paran had runners on second and third with one out in the fourth, but Cole Ganopolus induced two groundball outs to leave the runners stranded. Flowers batted 2-for-2 with a walk to pace the Eagles in the nightcap. “These kids were unbelievable,” Reese said of his team. “The way these kids represented this school, you can’t ask for more than that. They’re a good group of kids.”

MILTON — When Faith Harmeyer was asked if there was one thing Lassiter could have done differently in Saturday’s Class AAAAAA girls lacrosse championship at Milton, the coach was succinct. Nothing. Harmeyer’s Lady Trojans played to their potential nearly the entire game and held an early lead against the longtime lacrosse powerhouse. But Milton went on a late second-half run to get separation, and despite a late comeback attempt, the Lady Trojans had to settle for a 10-7 loss against a team that beat its in-state opponents by an average of 16.4 goals this season. “They almost pulled it out,” Harmeyer said. “I would have liked to have had this one for the seniors, but we’ll get it.” Goalkeeper Lauren Wetherhead gave Lassiter (14-6-1) a chance to hand Milton a loss by saving 18 of the 28 shot attempts she faced. The 10 goals Wetherhead did allow was a season low for Milton against an in-state opponent. Aside from the assortment of out-of-state opponents the Lady Eagles faced, their previous low for a game was 17 goals in a win over North Cobb. Ten times this season, they scored 20 or more. On the offensive end, Cydney Tutchton, Alex Fusco and Lucy Mills each scored two goals to lead Lassiter, while Johnna Fusco dished out three assists. Milton (16-3-1) created more scoring opportunities in the second half, which proved to be the difference, and Lassiter had difficulty taking advantage of its free-position opportunities. The Lady Trojans had at least seven chances to score from 8 meters out in the second half, when the game was still within reach, but the shots failed to find the back of the net. “Milton is very fast (defensively),” Tutchton said. “All the girls on that team have so much talent and they’re extremely fast, but I think it was more us not moving their goalie.” Milton’s second-half spurt came in the final minutes with three straight goals that allowed the Lady Eagles to take a five-goal lead with 1:24 left to play. Lassiter desperately fought its way back late when it won consecutive draws that led to consecutive goals by Alex Fusco, but Milton managed to hold possession with 45 seconds to go. Before Milton got away late and clinched its eighth state title in nine years, it was kept in check by the Lady Trojans and had a few chances in the first half to pull away. Lassiter attacked Milton early by winning draws and used that to build a 3-1 lead. Alyssa Gattis scored on the Lady Trojans’ first possession in the first minute of the game, on a Jill Rankin assist. Lassiter took a 2-0 lead 4 minutes later Tutchton finished up top just outside the crease. After Milton got on the board 6 minutes into the game, Lassiter bounced back and took a 3-1 lead when Mills scored on the run off a Johnna Fusco feed. Then Milton’s defense tightened up and took away Lassiter’s lead for good when Lydia Cassada scored on a free-shot opportunity with 6:48 left to play in the half. Once Milton tied the games, turnovers started to mount for Lassiter. The Lady Trojans were called for charging and offsides penalties when it had scoring opportunities, and a turnover led to Milton taking its first lead with 1:58 left. Lassiter quickly tied it on a Mills goal, but Milton took the lead for good with 42 seconds in the half when it spread Lassiter’s defense, allowing Southern California signee Annie Ruland to score on the run. Ruland and Jessica Masinko scored three goals apiece for Milton.