MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — The John Milledge Academy baseball played its final regular season game Tuesday afternoon, taking down the Brentwood Eagles by a score of 4-2.

Four double plays were turned in the contest (two by each team) and Trojan head coach Justin Mills got some work for just about all of his pitchers. The Eagles struck first with two runs in the top of the third inning thanks to a trio of singles. Peyton Massey, already the third JMA pitcher of the day, got out of the jam by inducing a flyout to second base and groundout to shortstop with a runner on second.

It didn’t take long for the Trojans to strike back as they knotted things up in the bottom half of the third. Jared Prestwood led off with a single and moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Bass. Brentwood pitching issued four consecutive free passes (two hit batsmen, two walks) that got John Milledge back into the contest with one out in the inning. Things could have been a lot worse however, as the bases were still loaded until the visiting pitcher induced a 4-6-3 double play to get out of trouble.

The free passes hurt the Eagles once again in the bottom of the fourth as two more hit batsmen scored to make the contest reach its final tally. Dawson Huff finished 1-for-1 at the plate with two RBIs to lead the Trojan hitters.

After losing the one-game region championship playoff to Westfield last week, JMA still gets to host the opening round of state as a No. 2 seed Friday. Although the team seemed to lack energy Tuesday, Mills said his guys are ready for state and the incoming Valwood Valiants.

“We’ve worked hard all year long to get where we’re at, and I really feel like the guys have bought in and are playing for each other,” Mills said after Tuesday’s win. “We’re excited about the opportunity to host again. I really think we’re ready and excited for another meaningful ballgame. These types of games can be tough to get excited about. These guys are finishing the regular season 19-3 and have had a very successful season. I don’t know my history of John Milledge baseball real well, but it’s got to be one of the best seasons we’ve had in a while. They know what they’re capable of doing it’s just going out there and having some energy and playing as well as we can play.”

Valwood enters Friday’s best-of-three series as the three seed from Region 3.

“They’re a three seed and they’re going to come in ready to beat us,” the head coach said. “It’s going to be a dogfight; I really believe that. Just like with the three seed in our region being Gatewood it would be a dogfight if we played them as well in a three-game series. So the two seed, yeah you get to host, but it does not mean you’re going to come in and roll over the three seed. [Valwood] is going to come out here and be scrappy and play hard. Hopefully we’ll play well enough to knock them off.”

First pitch in Friday’s Game 1 is scheduled for 1 p.m. Game 2 is scheduled for 4 p.m. but could begin earlier depending on the length of the first game. Game 3 will be played Saturday at 2 p.m., if necessary. The winner moves on to the second round next weekend to face whoever wins the Frederica-Bethlehem Christian matchup.