MCDONOUGH – They’ve had their backs up against the wall for a good portion of the season, so being in that position in Friday’s playoff series against Union Grove was nothing new for the LaGrange Grangers.

The Grangers, who didn’t secure a playoff spot until their second-to-last game of the regular season, dropped the first game of Friday’s Class AAAAA playoff series 8-2, meaning they had to win the second game to keep their season alive.

LaGrange made it happen in dramatic fashion.

Trailing by a run, the Grangers pushed two runs across in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the lead, and they held on for a 5-4 win.

Union Grove will host a winner-take-all Game 3 today at noon, with the winner advancing to the second round.

Two of LaGrange’s veterans came through in the sixth inning of Game 2.

With two men on, senior Jake Howard tied the game with an RBI single, and senior Jake Farrar gave LaGrange the lead with a sacrifice fly.

Armed with a one-run lead, Howard was on the mound in the top of the seventh inning, and he retired Union Grove in order to finish things off.

Howard was terrific in relief, throwing five scoreless innings while giving up just one hit to get the win.

Ben Anderson had a double and two RBIs in the second game, and Farrar and Howard each had a hit and an RBI.

Matthew Anderson did a great job toward the bottom of the order with three hits, and David Sweat had two hits.

In the first game, LaGrange had a hard time getting much going offensively, finishing with four hits.

Howard had the Grangers’ lone RBI on a groundout, and Willis Kemp scored a run on a passed ball.

Champ Willis had two hits in Game 1, and Farrar and Howard each had a hit.

On the mound, senior Cj Harman did a nice job in relief, giving up one hit and no earned runs during his three innings on the mound.

Reach Kevin Eckleberry at (706) 884-7311 or on Twitter @lagrangesports