The John Milledge Academy (JMA) Trojans dropped both games in a home-and-home series against Mount de Sales last week. The Trojans were shut out 5-0 at home last Tuesday by the Cavaliers, then lost 6-1 to the Cavs in Macon on Thursday.
JMA bounced back, however, with a 7-4 region win over the visiting Trojans from Tatnall Square Academy (TSA) this Monday, bumping its record up to 4-5, 2-3 for the season so far. A scheduled game for Tuesday night in Macon at TSA was postponed by rain to a date yet to be determined.
On Monday night, JMA held TSA scoreless through two innings, then broke through with the first run of the game in the bottom of the second.
JMA senior Cooper Wilburn earned his first of three hits for the night on a line drive single and reached second on a TSA infield error that put Will Adams at first.
Adams and Wilburn then advanced to second and third on a wild pitch, followed by a Remington Weaver sacrifice flyball that scored Wilburn to put JMA up 1-0 before a ground-out and a strike-out ended the second inning.
JMA’s right-handed junior, David Todd, continued to shine early in the third inning on the mound. However, with two outs and two runners on base, an infield error by Bud Veal in his first start at second base this season led to one run for Tatnall Square in the top of the third.
Regardless, Veal responded by reaching base in the bottom of the third inning before Blake Bellflower did the same to put two runners on base when Wilburn stepped up to the plate again.
Wilburn took advantage of the opportunity and hit an RBI triple into left-center field to put JMA up 3-1. Wilburn would then score easily on a Will Adams base hit, followed by a double by Weaver to left field.
Todd would follow suit, hitting a double to center field and scoring Weaver to put the host team up 6-1 when the third inning ended.
Both teams were scoreless in the fourth inning and TSA went scoreless again in the top of the fifth. But JMA added one more run in the bottom of the fifth when Wilburn stepped up with a solo leadoff home run to give JMA a 7-1 lead.
Sophomore Grayson Paradise entered in relief of Todd in the top of the sixth inning, and although Paradise gave up three runs, he allowed no more in the top of the seventh to wrap up the 7-4 win for the hometown Trojans.
Wilburn went 3-3 at the plate with a single, a double, and a home run, as well as three RBIs and three runs scored. Todd earned the win on the mound with five innings of work, striking out four batters, and allowing two hits and four runs.
With the big region win over TSA, John Milledge will look to sweep the Trojans from Macon whenever the rained-out game can be rescheduled.
Meanwhile, JMA will make its annual spring break trip to St. Simons Island next week, where the Trojans will take part in a round-robin tournament at Frederica Academy.
The Trojans are scheduled to play Terrell Academy and Valwood on Friday, April 5, followed by taking on Southland Academy on Saturday.