The only thing better than J.T. McDaniel’s baserunning on Wednesday was his pitching arm.

The sophomore scored three runs — two of them on a passed ball and a steal of home — and drove in another, to go along with a stellar pitching performance that led Tallulah Academy to a 7-2 win over archrival Briarfield Academy.

McDaniel had 14 strikeouts in seven innings pitched, while scattering seven hits and walking three batters. McDaniel’s strikeout total tied a career high. The last time he did it, coincidentally, was also against Briarfield almost a year ago to the day, on March 7, 2024.

When he wasn’t mowing down Briarfield’s batters, McDaniel was powering Tallulah’s offense. He singled and scored on Tripp Gayle’s double in the first inning; reached on an error and scored on a passed ball in the third; and walked and scored on a steal of home in the fourth.

Right after McDaniel scored his last run, Denton Ray scored on a misplayed grounder to give the Trojans a 6-0 lead. McDaniel also drove in a run with a ground out in the sixth inning.

Gayle finished 2-for-3 with one RBI for Tallulah (6-4), and Luke Moberley was 2-for-4 witha double and three runs scored.

Jackson Thornton and Brody Benton had two hits apiece for Briarfield (5-5). Jackson scored one run and Benton had one RBI.