Athens second baseman Grayson Wales throws to first baseman Major Reeves in the third inning of Friday's opening game against Minor. Athens defeated Minor to win its first home-field playoff game since 2011.

Athens shook off a slow start in its opening game Friday to sweep Minor and advance to the second-round of the Class 6A state baseball playoffs.

The Golden Eagles won a back-and-forth opening game 5-3 and cruised to a 10-0 win in five innings later Friday. Athens (27-13) advances to play at Hueytown (29-5) in the second round Friday, April 28.

Athens trailed early after Minor’s Kobe Smith hit a deep home run over the left field fence to start the game. AHS took advantage of back-to-back walks and a couple of errors from Minor in the second inning to take a 3-1 lead.

With the game tied 3-3 entering the fifth, Andrew Waldrep scored the go-ahead run on another errant throw from Minor and Ethan Tease added an insurance run in the sixth on a hard-hit ground ball from Jacob McNairy.

McNairy earned the win for Athens, giving up three runs in six innings while striking out ten Minor batters. Julian Revaz recorded the last three outs to earn the save for Athens. Tease and McNairy each had two hits to lead Athens at the plate.

With a steady rain coming down to start the second game, Athens took a 2-0 lead in the second inning and used to a big fifth inning to end the game. McNairy started the top of the fifth with a hard-hit double to center field.

McNairy scored a few plays later on an errand throw from Minor’s catcher, and Major Reeves drove home Dalton Pack to make it 4-0. After Jack Garvin drove home another run on a bunt, Bryson Kirk stepped up to the plate and hit a triple that scored three runs.

Luke Simpson followed that up with another triple that allowed Kirk to score. Simpson made it 10-0 when he scored on a passed ball a few pitches later.

Needing just three outs to advance to the second round, Jack Garvin didn’t disappoint on the mound and the Athens defense finished with an error-free inning. Garvin earned the win for Athens, pitching five scoreless innings and the AHS defense did not give up any errors.

Garvin would have pitched a perfect game if not for a hit by Minor’s Robert Colemen to start the fifth inning.

The game against No. 6 Hueytown is 5 p.m. Friday.