The Rocky theme played on the public address system a half hour before game time as the teams warmed up on the Bob Jones field in Madison. This Game 3 showdown in the Class 7A quarterfinals between top-ranked Thompson and No. 5 Bob Jones had the feel of a championship fight.

Peryn Bland’s two-run homer with one out in the top of the seventh was the difference as the Warriors outslugged Bob Jones 6-5. Thompson (36-6) will host fourth-ranked Vestavia Hills in the 7A semifinals starting Thursday.

The Warriors last reached the semifinals in 2015.

Bland, a junior second baseman and Troy commit, hit his second homer in two days and third of the year. His decisive two-run blast off Bob Jones reliever Tanner Hermesch scored Ethan Crook, who had reached on a fielder’s choice after a leadoff walk to Bray Smith.

“Just trying to stay relaxed in the box,” Bland said. “Not letting the moment get too big for me. And I was just trying to help my team by getting on base. He just left a fastball over the middle of the plate, and I took a good swing on it.”

After seeing the ball go over the left field fence, he said his thoughts were “just a bunch of relief knowing we had a chance to get three outs and win the game.”

Bob Jones (36-12) had the bases loaded with one out and cleanup hitter Sam Mitchell at the plate in the bottom of the seventh. But his line drive to the shortstop resulted in a 6-5 double play to end the game.

Ben Ferrell (3-0), who relieved starter Ben Pearman, earned the win by getting the last two outs in the sixth. Ashton Blair pitched the seventh for his second save.

“I was definitely trying to slow my body down, get my breath,” Blair, a freshman, said. “I knew the top of the lineup was coming up. I was feeling good. I was mixing my pitches up. I knew my stuff was good enough to get those guys out. I knew they couldn’t beat me with what I had. I knew my defense was good enough. I was throwing strikes. I knew the defense had my back.”

Drake McBride had three hits while Tucker Arrington added two for the Warriors, who are 2-1 against Vestavia Hills (30-9) this season.

“Honestly, it was the guys believing in each other,” Thompson coach Frankie Perez said. “We never quit, and that’s something that we as a program are proud of. We never quit. Our guys never quit. I’m extremely humble and proud to coach this group of men. I love them like they’re my own.”

Aidan Doyle’s two-run homer in the sixth put Bob Jones up 5-4 and capped the Patriots’ three-run inning. Mitchell hit a solo homer with one out. Nate Mayfield, who was intentionally walked to load the bases in the seventh, finished with two hits. CJ Bush hit a two-run homer in the fourth. Hermesch, who relieved left-handed starter Ben Arn, took the loss.

“I’m just really proud of my guys. They competed their butts off,” Bob Jones coach Jared Smith said.

The Patriots erased deficits of 1-0 in the fourth and 4-2 in the sixth.

“Baseball’s a game of inches,” Smith said. “If that’s a foot either way, we walk it off. When you hit balls hard, sometimes they fall. Sometimes they don’t.”