PLAS beats Edgewood

By KEVIN PEARCEY

Sports Editor

Sophomore Dale Garrett pitched a complete seven-inning game, holding Edgewood to just four runs in an 8-4 Pike Liberal Arts School win on Thursday afternoon at Patriot Field.

Garrett gave up

two runs in the third and two in the seventh, as PLAS built a four-run lead in the second and claimed their seventh win of the season.

"He did a good job," said Pike Lib head coach Butch Austin. "This is the first time he’s ever started."

Garrett made the most of his first start, giving up seven hits, but striking out four batters and leaving five Edgewood base runners stranded during the contest. Edgewood went three up and three down during three of their at-bats.

Garrett’s effectiveness on the mound, allowed Austin to save senior Layton Sanders and sophomore hurler Brandon Hooks for today’s region doubleheader against Glenwood. The first game starts at 1 p.m.

"We’ll probably go with whichever one’s ready," said Austin. "We’ve been hitting the ball well and playing good defense, but we’re about to step into the meat of our schedule."

Druid Conrad started things off with lead-off home run in the bottom of the second inning off Edgewood starter Kyle Moore. After two hits by Bill Hughes and Drew Kilpatrick, two straight walks by Moore scored a run and Sanders capped off the inning with a two-run single up the middle of the Edgewood defense.

The Wildcats were able to get two of those runs back in the third as Garrett walked one run in and Kyle Moore had an RBI single. The damage on the scoreboard could have been much worse as with two outs and the bases loaded, a diving Hooks knocked down a sharply hit ground ball by Josh Loy and threw to Kilpatrick at second for the last out of the inning.

The Patriots pulled away even further in their half of the third. A forced out by Brady Dunn scored one run, while Sanders

drove in a runner with a single. Moore got in trouble early, walking two of the first four PLAS batters he faced. Tyler Perdue came in as relief to face Hooks and issued another walk which scored Luke Sanders from third.

In the bottom of the sixth, Layton Sanders finished off the game for PLAS by launching a high, arching, fly ball over right-center for Pike’s second home run of the contest.

Kilpatrick led the Patriots, defensively, with three put outs and two assists.

Layton Sanders was 3-of-4 with four RBIs for Pike. Kilpatrick was 2-of-4. Kirby, Luke Sanders, Wes Johnson, Hughes and Conrad, also all had hits for the Patriots.