Memorial Day baseball will decide the Class AAAAAA state championship.
In a battle of Fulton County rivals, Roswell took Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader 1-0 behind a dominating outing by starter Connor Johnstone.
Milton rebounded in Game 2, getting clutch two-out run-scoring singles from Dalon Farkas and Nick Bradshaw and a strong outing from starter Dylan Cease in a 5-3 win.
The decisive Game 3 will be played at 4 p.m. Monday at Milton. The Hornets will be looking for their first state title in baseball since 1986. The Eagles last won a state title in 2004.
Johnstone threw a complete-game, two-hit shutout in the first game. Johnstone, who signed to play at Wake Forest, struck out five with no walks. He retired 13 consecutive during one stretch and ended the game by snatching a liner from Alec Cease and doubling off Dalton Ewing at first.
Alex Dickerson’s run-scoring single scored Drew Davis in the first inning for the game’s only run.
An overflow crowd created a raucous atmosphere, with fans sitting on top of outfield fences and the dugouts, trying to catch a peek.
Cease picked up the win in Game 2, striking out 12 in six innings.
Milton scored two in the first inning of Game 2, with Sean Ryan Brophy and Dalton Ewing delivering run-scoring singles.
Roswell answered with a run in the bottom of the first. Alex Dickerson’s run-scoring ground out scored Matt Meeder.
The Eagles tacked on a run in the fifth. Sean Ryan Brophy tripled and later scored on a wild pitch to extend the Milton to 3-1.
Roswell tied the score in the fifth, with Drew Davis and Syd Hopkins coming up with run-scoring singles.
But Farkas and Bradshaw came through in the sixth inning, rifling singles off of Roswell starter Austin Krzeminski.
Milton won both meetings between the Region 5 rivals in the regular season.
Milton’s Payton Smith took the loss in Game 1, surrendering one run on three hits. He struck out nine and walked two in six innings.
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