AMERICUS — For some reason, Michael Swain likes to make Southland Academy baseball fans worry for one inning.

Swain, who has began slow in several of his starts this season, gave up a leadoff triple to start Saturday’s Game 2 against Pinewood Christian before settling in to strike out a career-high 15 batters as the Raiders advanced to the second round of the GISA playoffs with a 3-2 win against the Patriots in eight innings.

Southland will play travel to North Cobb for the quarterfinals on Friday and Saturday. The Eagles beat First Presbyterian in Friday’s Game 1, 13-3, lost Game 2 by a 9-8 score and won Game 3, 6-4.

Swain scattered six hits and walked three in improving to 7-1. This came after Will Webb tossed a one-hitter while striking out six in a 10-0 win on Friday.

“In the first inning I didn’t have my command and I was getting a little frustrated with the release point on my curve ball,” said Swain. “It took me the first inning or two and I found my release point and settled in then.”

Lane Miller tripled to right field to open the game after Mason Greene made a diving attempt to catch the hit. A Daniel Womack sacrifice fly scored Miller, but Swain got out of a bases-loaded jam by striking out the last batter looking.

Southland (14-7) played from behind for most of the game. The Raiders, who were the away team, tied the game in the fourth. Swain and Fuller Timmerman led off the frame with back-to-back doubles, and courtesy runner Collin Holloway scored from third on a passed ball.

Pinewood (8-10) went back ahead 2-1 in the sixth with three-consecutive hits. Trent Sikes, who was 2-for-4 on the day, singled to center field. Gordon Warnell doubled and Jordan Nobles followed with a RBI-single.

Webb made a diving stop on Nobles’ hit, but lost it during the transition to throw home. The Raiders got out of the inning when Cartwright made a good jump on a hit from Miller to make the third out in right field.

“I left the ball on the inside of the plate when I was supposed to throw it out,” said Swain. “He hit it and did what he was supposed to do. That was my pitching mistake. I didn’t hit my spots two batters in a row. One I had a 3-1 count and I had to throw a strike and he was sitting on it. The next one I just left the first pitch down the middle.”

The Raiders tied it again in the seventh behind some unusual plays. After Ty Cartwright was hit by pitch to start the inning, Chandler Holloway grounded to the shortstop in what first appeared to be a double play. But the ball went through his legs and the Raiders had runners on second and third.

Brandon Ray acted like he was going to bunt, but took the bat back and the Patriots picked off Cartwright at third for the second out. But Ray singled to center field and Holloway scored from second. Miller didn’t field the hit cleanly, or there could have been a play at the plate.

The Patriots’ Stephen Arnold pitched the first seven innings allowing two runs on five hits before giving way to Jake Rogers, who allowed a double and walked three to start Friday’s sixth inning.

Rogers walked Swain and hit Timmerman, and then with runners on second and third, Holloway scored the winning run on another passed ball.

“When it comes down to it, we didn’t make the big one to get out of the innings,” said Pinewood coach Zach Rackett. “We battled, and that was our ultimate goal today.