AMERICUS — Two close games got away from the Americus-Sumter Panthers on Friday.

With Game 1 tied at 9 in the seventh, Lee County scored three times for a 12-9 win. Then with the game tied at 1 through five innings, the Trojans pulled away for an 8-1 win.

“We at least made them earn it,” said Panthers coach Kagan McClain. “The kids played well and hard, and we had a chance to win both games. Late in the games, they did a better job of executing some things. They’re a good baseball team.”

Americus-Sumter (6-17, 3-7) needs to sweep Thomas County Central and have Lee County sweep Bainbridge on Thursday to claim second place in 1-AAAA. Otherwise, the Panthers will finish fourth. Lee County wrapped up the region title with the two wins.

After both teams scored two runs in the first, Lee County (14-8, 8-2) took a 7-3 lead into the fifth when Doc Beflowers hit a three-run homer. But with the game tied in the seventh, the Trojans used small ball — a bunt single and a bunt that was bobbled — to get the inning going.

McClain said he ended up being confined to the dugout for the remainder of the game after challenging a call in the top half of the seventh.

Andrew Alford had two hits and two RBIs, and Jonathan Gilliam had two hits and a RBI. Caleb Cochran added a RBI-double in the first.

Cochran pitched the entire second game. Lee County scored three runs in the sixth, including a two-run homer from Will Raines, and four in the seventh to pull away.

“We didn’t make it easy on them,” said McClain. “We just ran out of gas at the end. Hopefully we’ll rebound against Central on Thursday.”

Before finishing the regular season at TCC with a doubleheader, the Panthers host Cairo on Monday at 5 p.m.