Charles Henderson High fought to a 9-7 win in the first game and a 12-8 win in the second over the Valley Rams in the first round of the AHSAA Class 5A state playoffs Friday in Troy.

With the two-game sweep of Valley, CHHS will advance to play the winner of Bibb County vs. Marbury next Friday, who also played Friday.

Walker Stallworth earned the pitching victory in the first game, allowing only three runs on six hits while striking out five over 5.33 innings.

CHHS, improving to 28-6 overall, took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Chance Pollard reached on an infield error, Lawson Scarbrough singled, Cole McWhorter pushed a run across on a fielder’s choice and Scarbrough scored on a single by Keonte Brantley.

Pollard, who ended the first game 3-for-4, singled in the bottom of the second and later scored to put the Trojans ahead 3-0.

Valley got two runs back in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 3-2, but the Trojans got that run back in the bottom fo the fourth when Pollard scorched a home run over the left center field wall for a 4-2 advantage.

The Trojans added five in the bottom of the fifth to go up 9-2 as Stallworth singled, Will Reeves was hit by a pitch, J. B. Sanders was a courtesy runner, Caden Bryan doubled, Pollard singled, Brock Huner doubled, Scarbrough singled and McWhorter doubled.

Stallworth reached his pitch limit and came out in the top of the sixth inning, but Valley got to the CHHS bullpen, the big blow coming from a grand slam by Andrew Davis, cutting the lead to 9-7.

Darryl Lee came on next in relief in the seventh inning and after allowing a single, struck out the next three batters to end the game.

Pollard led the Trojans with three hits while Scarbrough and Stallworth had two hits apiece. Huner, McWhorter, Brantley and Bryan each had one hit.

In the second game Huner got the start and earned a complete-game victory, allowing five earned runs over seven innings, scattering nine hits and striking out six.

The Trojans took an early 5-0 first inning lead with Brantley smoking a line drive home run down the right field line.

Valley picked up two runs in the second, two in the third and one in the fourth inning to tie the score 5-5.

Huner doubled and scored in the sixth, but Valley got one in the bottom half to tie the game again at 6-6.

CHHS went up with six runs in the top of the seventh as Brantley, Huner and Scarbrough all singled, followed by McWhorter with a double, and a 12-6 lead. Valley picked up two more in the bottom of the seventh for the 12-8 final.

Huner and Brantley had three hits each in the second game while Scarbrough, McWhorter and Stallworth each had two. Pollard and Bryan had one hit each.