ABILENE — After routing Hamlin 14-1 in the opener of its Class 1A state semifinal series on Thursday in Graham, the Gordon baseball team faced a much stiffer test from the Pied Pipers on Saturday at Abilene Christian University’s Bullock Brothers Ballpark.

But despite trailing 6-3 after 3½ innings in Game 2, the Longhorns proved up to the challenge, rallying for a 9-6 win to complete a series sweep and lock up their first state championship game appearance in program history.

GHS, which saw a five-run Hamlin second erase an early 2-0 lead, plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull within a run at 6-5, before exploding for four runs in the fifth for what proved to be the game-winning rally.