The Colonels fell behind 3-0 before taking their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth on Chaz Wilson's triple, which scored Dalton Weightman and Dylan Williams.
The Gladiators' Mitch Wedding scored on a groundout to tie the game in the top of the seventh. However, Taylor Bentley crossed the plate for the game-winning run for Cass when Johns Creek's pitcher delivered a wild pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom half of the inning.
Dalton Parham picked up the win for the Colonels while John Martin was the losing pitcher. Parham struck out three in three innings, giving up one earned run on one hit and four walks. The Gladiators' Martin gave up three earned runs on two hits and two walks (one intentional) with one strikeout in 1 1/3 innings.
Other pitchers included Cass' Tyler Gates and Johns Creek's Austin Poole. Gates pitched four innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five. Poole went five innings, giving up one earned run with three strikeouts and two hits.
Collecting hits for the Colonels were Sam Ayers (RBI), Parham (double), Wilson (two RBIs) and Bentley, who each went 1 for 3.
Gladiators' hitters were Eric Halpern, 2 for 3 (double, two RBIs); Dylan Dore, 1 for 3 (double); Jamie Hoffman, 1 for 1 (two walks); and Michael Salomon, 1 for 3 (double).
Johns Creek scored its first run of the game in the third, taking a 1-0 lead on a Cass error.
The Gladiators added two more runs in the fourth on Halpern's two-run double, which scored Hoffman and Salomon.
Ayers helped get things rolling for the Colonels in the fifth, atoning for his earlier miscue with an RBI single to score Ronnie Lafollette, who was hit by a pitch to reach base. Ayers would score on an error by Johns Creek second baseman Steven Siegfried to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Cass would take the lead an inning later.
Friday's win continued a recent surge for the Colonels, who have yet to lose since blowing a late lead to cross-county rival Woodland March 22. Cass (9-5, 5-3 Region 7-AAAA) has won four in a row to improve its place in the region standings, where it currently sits at No. 5.
The Colonels head to Canton Monday to face Creekview (8-6, 6-2) for a 5:55 p.m. region game. The Grizzlies are coming off a 5-4 loss to the Wildcats last Tuesday.