By Kyle Dean/Sports Editor
TIFTON — Kaleb Cowart broke a 4-4 tie with a fifth-inning home run, helping Cook High defeat Blessed Trinity 7-5 to advance to the Class AA Final Four.
The Hornets will host Dublin High Monday in Adel at a time yet-to-be-determined.
D.J. Johnson earned the save for starting pitcher Josh Barks, who came up with a game 3 win for the second consecutive series.
Johnson added a second inning home run in a four-run inning for the Hornets (29-5) off Titans’ starter Rock Rucker.
Down by one run, Tyler Norton came around to score after being hit with a pitch and Wes Warren scored on Rucker’s second wild pitch of the inning.
Johnson then hit the home run off Rucker, a line-drive shot over the fence in left-center field.
Blessed Trinity (23-10) came back in the bottom of the third inning with two runs off Barks.
Matt Kinney opened the inning with a double and Barks gave up a walk and a single to load the bases.
With two strikes, Court Kasten delivered a two-run single, helping the Titans get to within one run at 4-3.
The Titans got a long home run from Ross Hampton to tie the game up at four, but Cowart delivered the difference with his home run the next inning.
The junior’s home run to deep right field was the 16th of the season for Cowart, who tied Steve Browning for the single-season school record for Cook.
Cowart hit 15 homers last season as a sophomore.
The Titans came back with another run off Barks in the sixth inning off an error by Johnson. Blessed Trinity would load up the bases with a single by Hampton and a walk by Kinney off Barks.
Johnson would then make up for the error on the mound.
Cook coach Bob Owsley gave the game 1 starter the ball and the junior responded. Johnson got back-to-back popouts to the first baseman to end the threat, keeping Cook ahead by two runs.
Johnson then closed the game with three strikeouts to send Cook to the Final Four.
