Make that back-to-back Georgia state titles for American Legion Post 77’s Conyers baseball team.

 It was 20 years between championships for the American Legion Post 77’s baseball team when Eddie Bagwell won his first with Conyers in 2009, but the second came a lot sooner.

 Conyers went through to the state finals without a loss in the double-elimination tournament facing Douglasville on Wednesday.

 With a game to give, Conyers took a 6-1 lead going into the bottom of the eighth inning, before surrendering six runs.

 A chance at a title repeat slipped through Post 77’s fingers in a flash of an error and two bad hops in a 7-6 loss in the initial championship game.

 With a second game then scheduled to start a half hour after the disappointing loss, the Conyers’ players were hanging their heads low for less than 10 minutes.

 After a humbling speech for and by Bagwell, Conyers came out seemingly determined to not come out disappointed twice in one day.

 Putting up 20 hits, Conyers secured a spot in the Southeast Division playoffs with a 17-7 eight –inning title win over Douglasville.

 "First we were upset and pissed off," Conyers’ catcher Taylor Jackson said. "But then we lit a fire under our butts and got after it in the first couple of innings (of the second game)."

 After a three-up-and-three down top of the first inning Conyers scored in its first at bat on an RBI double by Travis Tarleton.

 They then added another run in the second, with yet another called off by the umpire.

 Leading 2-0 Conyers gave up three runs on two hits and two errors in the third inning, before taking over in the bottom half of the inning.

 Post 77’s bats got a hold of Douglasville’s tired pitching for six runs on six hits in the bottom of the third.

 The third inning started with a single by Beau Thomas a double by Josh Bailey and a two-RBI hit by Cameron Gibson. After a single by Kevin Diaz, a fielder’s choice by Ross Roberts and a double by Jackson, Nick Woodward connected on a 3-run home run to straight-away center field.

 "It just once more proves their willingness these players have to buy in to what we’re trying to do from day one," Bagwell said. "It is a commitment that we ask of them. It is a commitment we expect them to show up and give their best effort."

 The effort continued in the next inning with four more hits, four more runs and another three-run home run.

 Bailey led the inning off with a double and was brought home on a sacrifice fly by Travis Tarleton. After a hit by Diaz and Roberts, Jackson put another three-run long drive over the fence to put Conyers up 12-3.

 Conyers’ starter, Kelvin Diaz, allowed four hits through the first four innings, before allowing three hits, including two home runs in the top of the fifth.

 In the sixth inning, Diaz’ day ended on the mound, and was relieved by Ryan Conner.

 Conner pitched the rest of the way, allowing two walks and a hit in the final two innings.

 "What can you say about Ryan Conner," Bagwell said. "In two games this tournament he has proven to be a very effective close-the-door type of guy.

 "I’m extremely happy for him."

 Conyers came close to forcing a ten-run-rule result in the seventh inning on a two-run home run by Gibson and another RBI for Jackson for a 15-7 lead.

 After a one-hit eighth inning, Conyers picked their bats back up, scoring on a ground out by Gibson.

 Douglasville then walked Tarleton and Diaz to load the bases.

After two strikes, Jackson connected on a one-out bouncer toward the infield to pick up his fifth RBI and score the winning run.

 "The third pitch he threw me was a fastball inside," Jackson said. "I saw my chance and just swung and hit it. Luckily it bounced over his glove.

 "I just wanted to put the ball in play and run as hard as I can."

 With 17 runs on 20 hits, Conyers put more balls in play to overcome two three-run innings by Douglasville.

 In the first game, Conyers managed nine hits on six runs and allowed a big six-run eighth inning by its opponents.

 Douglasville opened what became a two-game championship series with a home run by Tanner Bryant in the second inning and maintained a 1-0 lead for seven innings.

 Conyers then had two hits and capitalized on four errors to score six runs in the top of the eighth inning.

 Beau Thomas started in the championship opener, going seven innings, giving up five hits and Bryant’s home run.

 "Beau Thomas gave us the performance that we wanted to get in game one," Bagwell said. "That was to go hard after them from the very first pitch."

 However, Douglasville, got to Thomas in the eighth inning, getting three straight singles.

 Conyers then committed an error, followed by another hit and a three-run home run, allowing Douglasville to take a 8-7 victory.

 Conyers then couldn’t get anything in the top of the ninth inning, forcing a second game.

 In between games Bagwell tried to get the players mindset quickly off the loss and took the blame for the eight-inning let down.

 "Between games we could have very easily been down," Bagwell said. "I told them straight up that I took responsibility for game one and they had to bail me out and they did.

 "I only spoke, no one else spoke. The only way they were allowed to speak is if they had something to say directly to the team about what we wanted to do. And it was all about taking focus off of them and putting it right on me. I mean that from the point of view, I lost that game not ya’ll. Ya’ll deserved to win, I blew it."

 Conyers will travel to Columbia, Tenn. on Wednesday to play host team, Post 19 on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Southeast Regional tournament.