BASEBALL: Trinity has tight game get out of hand late in playoff tune-up vs. John Milledge

UPDATE: This story has been revised with finalized dates and times for the state quarterfinal series now set to begin Thursday.

Trinity’s baseball team did in fact secure the No. 4 seed for the upcoming GIAA baseball tournament, and by doing so, it also was looking at a significant layoff until its debut in the quarterfinals, with a bye in this week’s play-in round.

Fortunately, John Milledge is in the same boat in the state’s AAA division, and the two teams were able to schedule a game on Wednesday to keep both teams sharp. Unfortunately for the Crusaders, the Trojans scored nine runs over the final two innings to break open a close game in their 12-2 win.

John Milledge got a double from David Todd in the top of the first, and he was able to score on an error to give the Trojans an early lead.

Trinity answered in the home half. Ben Helton doubled to lead off the frame and later scored on a Braden Underwood hit to knot the score at 1-1.

JMA took the lead back in the third on two singles and a Todd sac fly to make it 2-1.

The Trojans would add another run in the fourth on an infield single, a stolen base and a single by Lane Rhodes to go up 3-1.

Trinity got the first two runners on in the home half of the fourth; however, it was unable to bring them around and still trailed.

The Trojans broke it open in the sixth. They managed just three singles in the inning, but took advantage of a walk, a hit batter and two costly errors to score six times for a 9-1 advantage.

Bryce McDonel led off the seventh with a solo homer to extend the JMA lead to 10-1. The Trojans added two more runs on a groundout and a single to go up 12-1.

Trinity got its last run in the bottom of the seventh. Jakob Sahli doubled with one out, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Cesar Rodriguez groundout to make the final 12-2.

Carter Lee had two hits the lead the offense. Helton, Underwood, Sahli, Asher Evans and Tripp Mascaro also had hits for the Crusaders.

Trinity will now host fifth-seeded Georgia Christian, which swept Augusta Prep on Thursday, in the second round of the playoffs. The series is slated to begin with a doubleheader Thursday at 4 p.m. A rubber game, if needed, will follow Friday at noon.