LOGANVILLE - Whenever Grayson took a lead or tied the game in Saturday s Class AAAAA state playoff game, North Cobb responded.

The biggest rally came in the bottom of the seventh.

The Warriors, who were the home team after winning the coin toss, loaded the bases and won Game 3, 12-11, after Avery Cross was hit by a pitch to bring home the winning run.

"We've made it our calling to do some unusual things to win games this year," North Cobb coach Tom Callahan said.

The victory puts North Cobb in the second round of the state playoffs where it will host No. 4 seed North Gwinnett on Wednesday.

The Rams trailed 11-8 in the top of the seventh, but Joey LaRocca's two-run homer kept Grayson in the game. Clay Ardeeser drew a walk with the bases loaded to bring home the tying run. Mike McHugh grounded out to end the inning with three players left on base.

Keith Pachmeyer (11-1) came in to get the last out, needing only two pitches to induce a grounder to third, to pick up his 11th victory of the year.

"We couldn't put enough pressure on them in the top of the seventh," Grayson coach Seth Rhine said.

North Cobb responded in the bottom half of the inning with three walks and Cross, who was 3-for-4, was hit by a pitch to bring home the winning run.

"I was looking for a fastball and it was just a little too far inside," Cross said. "A win is always good." Grayson jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Ardeeser hit a three-run homer. North Cobb responded in the bottom frame when Brett Clayton hit a solo homer and a walk and a balk brought home two more runs.

The Rams trailed 5-3 going into the top of the sixth, after a three-run homer by the Warriors' Mitch Coffman, when Grayson had their big inning to take their second lead. Austin Meadows and LaRocca led off with hits, Taylor Allum walked along with Isaac Gross' third walk to bring home a run. Ardeeser's two-run double gave Grayson an 8-5 advantage.

But the lead didn't last long. Four walks, a costly error and a two-run homer by Wade Marcy put North Cobb back on top and the Warriors never trailed again.

"We didn t make a defensive play we needed to make and I made a coaching mistake that didn t work out with our pitching," Rhine said.

Grayson used five pitchers in the game, but none of them had much success against the Warrior hitters. The Rams allowed eight hits, 11 walks, gave up three homers and hit two batters.