LOGANVILLE, Ga. --- Evans played from behind all series in its Class AAAA state baseball quarterfinal at Loganville on Tuesday and never could string together the right combination of hits to mount a rally.

The defending state champion Red Devils had a lead in all but two of the 14 innings of the sweep on a chilly night that felt like fall. Scores were 7-2 and 11-2.

"That's probably the best hitting team we've seen all year," Evans coach Ricky Beale said.

Loganville, winners of 16 in a row, hit three home runs in Game 1, including a two-out three-run blast in the third that seemed to change the momentum. It scored six runs in its first at-bat of the second game, setting the tone for the rest of the night. The Knights clustered in front of their dugout after that output, refusing to believe they were facing a deficit that would end their season.

"You can score 11 runs with two outs in the bottom of the (last) inning," said senior Jeff Rice, who drove in a run in the second game with a double. "This team never gives up. That's not what we're about."

Said Beale, "The thing I'm most proud of is what these seniors did. They committed to the team. There was no selfishness. The bar has been raised. It's up to (the underclassmen) to answer the call."

Trailing 8-2, Evans left the bases loaded in the fourth, its last attempt to rally. Catcher Tyler Barden homered in Game 2, one of only five hits for the Knights.

The homers were the difference in the first game. Evans out-hit the hosts 7-6 and didn't commit an error (Loganville had two). After a 30-minute break, Loganville never gave up command after its strong start.

"We talked between games about coming out hard," Loganville coach Jeff Segars said. "Last week, (Evans) got beat in the first game and came back (to win two). We told them if you're not ready to go, you're going to be in a Game 3, and you're going to be in trouble. Our guys know that; they have been in the fire."

Barden, who shut down Glynn Academy in the second round's decisive game, and Michael Farr, 2-0 in the postseason, started and took the losses for the Knights. Matt Blume, the team's regular-season wins leader who started the first game of the previous two series, did not throw a pitch.

Beale wanted Barden to start one game of the doubleheader, so he wouldn't have to catch two consecutive games.

CHRIS THELEN/STAFF