Stratford Academy center fielder Brian Nicholson made the play of his baseball career Thursday, catching a line drive to the center field fence and preserving a 6-2 win over John Milledge Academy at Trojan Field.

“Nicholson is a fifth starter for us, playing since he was in eighth grade,” Stratford coach Jeff Treadway said. “He has made some big plays for us but I don’t think he has ever made one quite that big. That has to be the biggest play he has ever made for us.”

The fifth inning heroics by Nicholson halted the Trojans from tying the game and put Stratford up 1-0 in the second round of the GHSA Class AAA tournament.

“Coach signaled for me to scoot in a couple of feet in case I needed to make a play at home,” Nicholson said. “As soon as it was hit I made a run for it and the next thing I knew it was in my glove.”

The play came after the Eagles made a three-run rally in the top of the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. Trojans starter Junior Blake Thomas began the inning by walking Nicholson and Tyler Gibson of Stratford. Culby Hinson followed with an RBI double to tie the game.

Using a rundown at second as a means of diversion, Hinson took off from third to grab the lead and ultimately the win off a high throw to the plate by Thomas.

“As the runner was heading toward second, my teammates told me to turn around because someone was headed home,” Thomas said. “I overthrew Ben (Prestwood) giving the runner a chance.”

In the sixth, the Eagles had no problem fueling junior starting pitcher Bart Stapleton with the run support needed to nail the door shut. Nicholson led the inning off with a double and scored along with Gibson off an RBI single by Collins. Hinson would tack on the final run off a single by third baseman Chris Ellis.

“I felt real good the entire game, I just lost curveball control for one inning,” Thomas said.

The Trojans did show promise early, riding a 2-0 lead into the fifth. Sanders hoped to ride Thomas the entire game, more than the junior had ever pitched. In the third, senior Danny White led off with a double and scored on a single by third baseman Jase Stubbs. Thomas would help his own cause, scoring on a error off a groud ball by the Eagles.

“We played well and Thomas pitched excellent going the deepest he had ever gone,” coach Gary Sanders said. “He gave up on gas towards the end but he pitched his heart out and gave us a chance to win.”

Thomas would finish the afternoon with a complete game and 11 strikeouts. Stapleton also pitched a complete game and tallied 11 strikeouts.

JMA hopes to even the series and prolong their season Saturday at Trojan Field.

“I talked to the team and told them we just have to win two games,” Sanders said. “Nobody has done that yet. Nobody has won two games and there is no reason we can’t do it.”