By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          John Milledge came up with the offense and enough pitching to force a third game of the GISA Class 3A baseball championship series.

          But the Trojans couldn’t come up with offense in the nightcap and Dominion Christian did – barely – as the Knights nipped the Trojans 2-1 in the finale Saturday night at Mercer’s OrthoGeorgia Park.

          Dominion Christian took the lead in the sixth with clutch two-out offense, on a single and a double.

          John Milledge managed a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth, retired the Knights in order in the top of the seventh, but watched a two-out single in the bottom half go for naught with a game-ending fielder’s choice grounder.

          The Trojans had a nice first inning stall on a double play during which the run scored, with the third out a pitch later. They got the first two batters on in the third and got nothing, then got a double play after a leadoff single in the fourth.

          Taylor Dixon went 3-for-3 from leadoff for John Milledge, Brandon Bellflower going 3-for-3 right behind him. The rest of the lineup managed three hits.

          The Trojans and Knights were tied at 1 after the first inning of Game 2, Saturday’s first game.

          Then John Milledge took control with three in the third and two in the fourth.

          Jacob Prestwood singled and Jared Prestwood doubled for the first run in the third, two more coming on an error and Bowden single. A walk, single, fielder’s choice grounder, double by Jared Prestwood, walk, and a passed ball led to the two in the fourth.

          But Dominion Christian started making it interesting with three in the top of the fifth, only for John Milledge to return the lead to four with two in the bottom half, loading the bases with one out on a single, hit batter, and walk, a run coming in on another hit batter and then one on Jacob Prestwood’s fly to left.

          John Milledge ran threw four pitchers: Jacob Prestwood, Jackson Carter, Bellflower, and Jared Prestwood. Dominion Christian used two.

          The Knights went with Logan Ehorn in the final, and he went the distance, with four strikeouts and a walk. Bellflower, Carter, and Jared Prestwood gave up four fewer hits, but had six walks to go with five strikeouts.

          John Milledge threw 50 more pitches in Saturday’s two games, and also outhit Dominion Christian 18-12. And both teams stranded 17 runners in the doubleheader.