Sports Editor

South Montgomery County Academy must have thought someone pushed rewind on the tape against Pike Liberal Arts on Tuesday.

The Patriots’ Matt Floyd had just knocked a two-run homer into left field when, after a Bill Hughes basehit, junior Scott Kirby ended the ball game in the fifth inning with another two-run shot, also into left field.

Kirby’s hit ended the game with the Patriots’ up 13-3 on the Raiders. The only difference between the two homeruns, was that Floyd’s hit the football field’s press box, while Kirby’s cleared the fence and went all the way over.

Layton Sanders opened up the first inning by driving in Luke Sanders with a triple. Floyd and Hughes both followed with single RBIs to put the Patriots up, 3-0.

Alex Long opened the second for the Raiders with a homerun off of Pike pitcher Druid Conrad. Conrad struck out four batters in the game, picking up the win, but moved over to first base in the top of the fifth after he was nailed in the side by a line drive hit back at the pitcher’s mound.

Brady Dunn drove home Wes Johnson with a double for the Patriots in the top of the second, to open up a five run inning for PLAS. Two straight singles by Brandon Hooks and Luke Sanders put two more runners on base, and a Layton Sanders base hit scored both.

La. Sanders gave Pike a 9-1 lead in the bottom of the third with another RBI single.

Conrad struck out the first batter he faced in the fourth and Hughes, playing third, covered two straight ground balls for the final two outs.

Chip Ransom had an RBI double and Trey Houlton had a single RBI in the top of the fifth to make the score 9-3. It was Houlton’s hit that injured Conrad, forcing Floyd in as relief.

Floyd got the final out at the plate, striking out SMCA’s Ryne Rials.