SMYRNA — The Forrest Rockets raced to a 7-1 lead and held off a challenge by the Union County Patriots to win 9-6 in the first game of the day at Stewarts Creek High School.
The Rockets scored off the bat with two runs in the opening inning. 
A Luke Allen walk with the bases loaded plated Tyler Baxter with the first run while a sacrifice fly by Riley Durbin brought home Kason Fuller as Forrest took a 2-0 lead.
After the Patriots scored a single run in the second, the Rockets came up big with four runs in the third inning.  Forrest had five hits in the inning, with Preston Gentry leading off with a single and scoring the first run on a single by Carter Walk. 
After Allen followed with a double to score Walk, Ryan Meglis singled and Austin Dillon delivered a two-run single to put the Rockets up 6-1.
The Rockets made it 7-1 in the fourth as Baxter led off with a double and scored on a Patriot error. 
But Union County fought back with five runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning to cut the Forrest lead to 7-6.
Allen led off the fifth with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Durbin, Meglis drove in a run with a single to right as the Rockets increased their lead to 8-6.
Allen was a part of an insurance run for the Rockets after leading off the top of the seventh with a single.  A Dillon sacrifice scored the run and put Forrest up 9-6.
The Patriots went in order in the bottom of the seventh as Allen went the distance on the mound for the Rockets and took the win as Forrest forced a second game to decide a berth in the TSSAA Class 2-A state tournament championship game.
Baxter, Allen, Meglis, and Dillon each had two hits to lead the Rockets at the plate.  Forrest finished with 10 hits in the contest.
          
Forrest      2041101 — 9 10  1      
Union Co. 0105000 — 6   6  2
 
Forrest: Tyler Baxter 2-for-5, Preston Gentry 1-for-4, Carter Walk 1-for-4, Luke Allen 2-for-2, Ryan Meglis 2-for-4, Austin Dillon 2-for-3.
Union Co.:  Ian Setzer 1-for-3, Eben Hansen 1-for-3, Jake Ryder 2-for-4, Jocob Ford 1-for-3, Jacob Bailey 1-for-2.
 
WP: Allen
LP: Richardson