After enjoying a first-round bye, No. 1 seed John Milledge Academy (JMA) began its playoff run for back-to-back GIAA Class AAA state baseball championships last Friday when the Trojans hosted Heritage Academy.
JMA won game one 10-3 over the Hawks after scoring twice in the opening inning and leading 7-0 after two. Heritage got on the board with a run in the top of the third, but JMA added one run in each of the fourth through sixth innings to reach the final score.
Senior Briggs Eady led the Trojans’ charge with two home runs and three runs to lead both categories, while his twin brother Banks Eady scored twice, as did fellow senior Cayden Avant. Brady Rollins also hit a home run.
Jackson Thomas, a 6-foot-5 senior, threw for 5.2 innings with 11 strikeouts to earn the win, with Landon Byrd finishing the game on the mound for the Trojans.
In game two, JMA officially was the visiting team but still played with home-field advantage in Milledgeville. Neither team scored in the first inning.
In the second, though, the Trojans broke through with a run-scoring triple from junior Blake Bellflower that sent Thomas home from first base. A sacrifice fly scored Bellflower before the inning ended on a fly ball to left field.
Heritage plated its first run of the game in the top of the third with a sacrifice fly that scored a run from third base to cut the Trojans’ lead in half. JMA quickly responded in the third, however, with a solo homer from Rollins to center field, giving the Trojans their third run of the game.
Heritage would cut down the JMA lead in the fourth inning with a game-tying single to tie the game up at 3-3, but the Trojans again responded with a home run, this time with Briggs Eady hitting a three-run shot. They led Heritage 6-3 going into the bottom of the fifth.
Despite JMA’s dominant inning, the Hawks wouldn’t go away and managed to cut the lead down to two with a run-scoring single. They then ended the fifth inning with a 7-6 lead after poking a three-run homer to center field.
The Trojans had no response in the sixth and Heritage took advantage of the opportunity and extended its lead to two runs on a wild pitch with a runner scoring from third base before a ground out ended the Hawks’ run.
JMA answered the Heritage run in the top of the seventh with a huge six-run effort, ignited by a single from Thomas that scored Briggs Eady. A Heritage fielder’s choice gave the Trojans the game-tying run with Bryce McDonel scoring.
Bradyn Harrison then scored off a single hit by Tyler Greene, followed by a double from Avant, which pushed Cooper Wilburn home. Banks Eady followed the previous big hit with a single, scoring Greene and Avant as the Trojans’ led 12-8.
Sophomore Kolten McMichael pitched five innings and allowed eight hits while striking out five Hawks batters.
Remington Weaver got the win after recording the final three outs with a pair of Ks and a ground out to second base. Weaver, also a sophomore, came on in the sixth inning and allowed one hit and one run but struck out three of seven batters faced.
The Trojans advanced with their sweep of Heritage, and will now host No. 4 seed Valwood on Friday.
The Valiants had a first-round bye like JMA but swept Dominion Christian last week to advance. If game three is necessary, it will be played on Saturday.