After enduring some ups and downs this baseball season, Tallulah Academy is trending upward at the right time.

J.T. McDaniel went 4-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs, and he also pitched three scoreless innings as the Trojans beat Union Christian 19-5 in Game 1 of a first-round MAIS Class 2A playoff series on Monday.

Tallulah Academy (17-10) won its sixth game in a row, and has scored in double figures in five of them. It hadn’t won more than two in a row before the current winning streak.

The Trojans scored in all five innings Monday to make easy work of Union Christian.

McDaniel hit an RBI double in the second inning, a solo inside-the-park home run in the third, and a three-run homer over the fence in the fourth. His second home run put Tallulah ahead 17-0.

McDaniel also started on the mound and allowed one hit and three walks in three scoreless innings. He had five strikeouts.

Every Tallulah starter had at least one hit and one RBI. Charlie Vining finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored, Aiden Harris was 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored, and Courtland Collins had two hits, one RBI, and scored three runs.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Thursday at 4 p.m. in Tallulah. If a Game 3 is needed it will be played immediately afterward.