Trojans hem up Hawks

Published 5:00 pm Tuesday, March 25, 2025

There were baserunners a-plenty, but a trio of John Milledge pitchers held visiting Heritage to just one run scored in a 3-1 win for the Trojans Friday.

The Hawks of Newnan, coached by former Atlanta Braves catcher Johnny Estrada, stranded 11 runners in all, including two instances of leaving the bases loaded. The Trojans plated all three of their runs in the second and let hurlers Kolt McMichael, Remington Weaver, and Cohen Brooks take care of things from there.

Friday was John Milledge’s third game and third straight win without former head coach Chad Starley at the helm. He told the newspaper a couple of weeks ago he was forced to resign from his post while in the middle of his fourth season coaching at his alma mater. Neither he nor the school has given a reason for the separation.

The Trojans seem to be chugging right along with interim head coach Justin Mills, who’s being helped by longtime assistant Walter Prestwood and his twin sons Jacob and Jared, both of whom are JMA teachers/coaches.

Senior Kolt McMichael started on the mound versus Heritage’s Bryson Smallwood Friday. After perfect first frames for both, the Hawks had their first runner reach via a single right on the left-field line in the second. McMichael battled back to strike out the next two before surrendering another single. A walk loaded the bags as Heritage looked poised to take an early lead. A groundout to Bryce McDonel at second ended that threat though, and set the tone for the rest of the late afternoon ballgame.

As fate would have it, John Milledge filled the bags in the second as well. A walk followed by singles from David Todd and Graysen Paradise did the job. In the competition of “who’s going to produce with runners on base,” the Trojans were the winners. Freshman designated hitter Asa Wall dropped a no-out single into centerfield to plate the game’s first run, 1-0 Trojans. It was questionable whether the hit was going to fall safely to the ground, so the runner at second wound up being forced out at third. A fielder’s choice to first then set up second and third with two out when Weaver swung and missed at a third strike. It got away from the catcher though, allowing the home team to score again. JMA’s final run came courtesy of another single into center, this time by junior Bradyn Harrisson.

McMichael had two more Hawks reach in the third, but he stayed composed and struck out the next three to maintain his team’s lead. He left with five strikeouts and just two hits allowed in his three innings pitched.

McMichael gave up the mound to his classmate in Weaver to start the fourth. He walked the first batter he saw, but bounced back with the help of catcher Will Adams. A strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out emptied the bags and provided a jolt of energy to the Trojans. The big righty Weaver gave up a Hawk hit then struck out the next batter. Halfway home, it was the Trojans leading 3-0.

Heritage had the bags full in the fifth, but Weaver’s fifth strikeout kept the visitors at bay again. They only scratched one across in the sixth after a Lennon Campbell leadoff double to the base of the left-field fence. A single and fielder’s choice at second brought him home. With two outs and the tying run at first, Weaver got a Hawk batter to hit into an unassisted putout to Paradise at first.

Junior Cohen Brooks ended the Trojans’ solid pitching effort on the day. He came on in the seventh to induce three outfield flyouts and get the save.

Todd was the only John Milledge batter to collect a pair of hits Friday. Wall’s first knock went in the books as a fielder’s choice because of the force out at third in the second inning. Campbell, Asher Durham, and Andrew Arant had two-hit games for Estrada’s club in the loss.

John Milledge baseball (8-2 entering Tuesday) begins region play versus Piedmont Academy this week.