JMA’s varsity baseball team is back in action and dominated its home opener Feb. 27 against Vidalia Heritage Academy. After posting a 10-0 shutout over the Eagles, the Trojans have a 3-0 overall record and are ranked first in the GIAA 3A/4A region.
The Trojans match against the Eagles went off on a slow start, and the first two innings remained scoreless. With ten unanswered runs from JMA, the game ended early at the bottom of the Fifth Inning.
Trojans head coach Chad Starley said he believes his team did an excellent job on both offense and defense.
“We were taking some big swings early and adjusted it at the plate,” Starley said following Thursday’s victory. “We had some quality ABs (at bats) from our big hitters.”
It was an improvement over the team’s season opener earlier in the week, according to Starley.
“I would say our overall approach at the plate has definitely improved, and our mental side in the dugout, like guys that are in the game, has improved,” he said. “Our defense was awesome, and there were no errors today, so it was a great day.”
The Trojans began their scoring spree against the Eagles with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Their remaining seven points came from four runs in the fourth inning and three scored in the fifth.
JMA’s victory involved several game leaders, including junior Bradyn Harrisson with two stolen bases and three runs, and sophomore Ryan Murphey with two runs and two stolen bases. Senior Kolt McMichael also helped lead the team in multiple positions, with a home run, five RBIs, and throwing 48 pitches in five innings.
Starley credited McMichael’s game effort and said his home run helped seal the victory.
“We had runners on first and second [for the home run],” Starley said. “Once he hit that home run, the score went up to 6-0, and that’s when we knew we had control of the game.”
According to Starley, the game also marked McMichael’s first time pitching since suffering an ACL injury playing football two years prior.
“[Today] was his first time on the mound in two years, so you know he’s been waiting a long time to start and hit on this field again,” Starley said. “He’s a great kid and a good leader for us.”
Overall, Starley said he looks forward to the remainder of the season, to seeing his team compete “in every game they play,” and to finding chances to win.
“We look forward to our pitchers giving us a chance to win and our hitters getting some timely hitting,” Starley said.
The Trojans return home Monday, Mar. 10 at 6 p.m. to face the Brentwood War Eagles.