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Pike Liberal Arts claims AISA state championship
Published 11:30pm Thursday, May 10, 2012MONTGOMERY – Pike Liberal Arts claimed the AISA Class AAA baseball state championship with a comeback that will go down as one of the greatest in the league’s history.
Trailing 10-1, the Patriots scored 14 runs in the fifth inning to take a 15-10 lead that would stand to not only give Pike the game and the best-of-three series victory but also hand the school its first ever state championship in baseball.
The fifth inning of Game 3 will arguably stand as part of Pike and AISA lore for years to come.
“It is unbelievable,” an emotional Butch Austin said. “To win the way this team did is just unbelievable.”
Chandler Avant led off the fifth with a solo home run. What seemed meaningless at the time turned out to be the spark that ignited an offensive engine primed for full throttle acceleration.
- Taytom Barnes makes a throw to first base (Photo/Tyler Myers)
The Patriots (31-6) would pound out seven hits off of four different Tuscaloosa pitchers. Pike also sent 19 batters to the plate in the inning with Avant coming to the dish three times.
“You could watch baseball games from now until you’re 90 years old and never see that again,” Austin said. “To be a part of that and be a part of this team is special.”
It was especially unique for Pike’s head coach of 17 years. As a coach, Austin has reached both the AHSAA and AISA state title game a combined seven times, this being his first championship victory.
Austin was an assistant coach at Charles Henderson under Mike Hogan from 1977-1989 before making the jump to Pike in 1993.
Pike Liberal Arts reached the AISA state championship game in 1997 but lost on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Patriots returned to the final round in 2010 and 2011 but fell to Glenwood both times.
“It’s a good feeling,” Austin said. “It’s something that can never be taken away from these kids.”
- Pike Liberal Arts with the bases loaded in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the AISA Class AAA state championship series against Tuscaloosa Academy. (Photo/ Tyler Myers)
Tuscaloosa built a 10-1 lead over the first 4 1/2 innings scoring two in the first, three in the second, one in the fourth, and four in the top of the fifth.
“The seniors got together and told the team that it wasn’t over until the last out,” senior catcher Blake Floyd said. “We were a little down in the dugout but (Avant’s) home run helped because hitting is contagious.”
If hitting is contagious, Avant’s solo blast in the fifth started an infectious outbreak.
Avant was named Most Valuable Player after the game for his 7-for-11, seven RBI performance in the series.
“It feels good to be the top team in the state and know that you won a state championship,” Avant said. “It was frustrating because their pitcher kept us off balance. On the home run, I just tried to stay down on something and start a rally.”
- Pike Liberal Arts catcher Blake Floyd hugs head coach Butch Austin after winning the AISA Class AAA state championship. (Photo/Tyler Myers)
Josh Starling would get the start on the mound but would be relieved with no outs in the second after allowing five runs.
“It was actually the most calm I’ve ever been after a start like that,” he said. “This team hadn’t given up all year and I knew we were going to stay in it.”
Despite the outing on the mound, Starling was 2-for-3 at the plate in the final game.
Reid Dickey recorded the final two outs in the top of the fifth to pick up the win.
Lawson Stewart tossed the sixth and seventh to close the door on the Knights.
And the player who caught the final out – a fly ball to right field. Dustin Newman would take that honor.
“I was just making sure I caught it with two hands,” Newman said. “After that, I just looked at it.”
Wow, AISA competition must be weak. 18-1 then lost 5-4 then the fiasco of a third game. That is comparable to dixie majors. All you have to do is win 2 rounds and you go to the state championship, which turned out to be a dandy. I hope the citizens of Troy really aren’t considering this to be one of the best teams that have come through Troy. LOL
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legitbb- You sound jealous and childish. And like you probably are connected in some way to CHHS, who didn’t make it out of the 2nd round of their playoffs this year. I don’t recall anyone commenting on the article covering your 2nd round losses in a negative way. It’s a shame you felt the need to so here. As a citizen of Pike county, I sincerely congratulate the Pike team, even though I am a CHHS Trojan. Maybe you’re wondering if CHHS would have made it to Round 3 if the players they’ve lost over recent years to Pike were still at CHHS. Congrats Pike. You did what it took to win it all. MOST of Pike county is proud of you.
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Congratulations Patriots!! I am so proud for Coach Butch!! He is a great coach and I am proud to say that he was mine as well. Could not have happened to a better coach.
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Really enjoyed watching these young men in these games! They should be very proud of these wins and the tenacity they showed even when they were not doing so well! As a resident of Troy, I am proud when any school does well in their sports programs. But as a parent of a proud PLAS student, I am especially proud. CONGRATULATIONS PATRIOTS! I think if we, as adults can’t say something positive about our young people, maybe we should just say nothing.
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tsu1987… first of all you sound like a rec ball coach living vicariously through your son or daughter if we are going to jump to conclusions. this is nothing about CHHS…You must know deep down public schools competition is much more competitive or you wouldn’t have jumped to that conclusion..thats childish. and to be a alumnus from CHHS thats a pretty immature statement. There is nothing wrong with good sound competitive baseball and AISA is a joke.
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tsu1987 and justcurious, you have taken the high road. Thank you.
I don’t have a PLAS or CHHS dog in the fight but I am happy for Pike and the community. It’s a great accomplishment anytime a team from the area brings home a championship.
I did get a chance to see Pike play Edgewood and Glenwood this year and can say for certain that both of them along with Pike could play with most any team around. I have watched a lot of baseball in southeast Alabama and AAA AISA is a good as any around here.
Some, like legitbb, are just trying to stir the pot. Congrats Pike.
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We should all take the high road and celebrate with these young men and their coaches. Recent years proved for all area schools that state championships are hard to come by. It’s hard to see why anyone from our area can’t be proud of our “own”, no matter what school they attend.
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rattleharper–If you feel like AISA Baseball is as good as any around the Southeast you must be delusional. Other then Pike, Gleenwood, and Edgewood the talent is minimal at best! Pike has some guys that can straight out play, no doubt! But Pike will always be known as the place to go when you can’t play with the big boys..To hush all the BS, Pike needs to step up like most of the other good private schools and join a public school classification for sports. It will only help the competition but in turn may hurt some feelings.
I totally congratulate the Pike Boys! Great group of kids and parents! I hope they move out of AISA and continue to win!
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legit, please stop while you are behind. Some on here may think you were affiliated with Troy University in 1987 and if true, your attitude would be an embarassment to Troy.
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I have to say that I somewhat agree with legit, that public school sports are for the most part more competitive. If there is a sport that the gap may be a little closer, it would probably be baseball. Basketball and football on the other hand, I don’t think a school like Pike Lib could beat CHHS, at least not very often. CHHS has lost to St. Pauls which is a private school, but from what I understand, they do some pretty good recruiting. That being said, for these young guys to win a State Championship is a major accomplishment for them and they are the best in the state in their division, so hats off to the Pike Lib baseball team.
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The AHSAA considers the private schools to be better at sports due to no restricions on districts for players to come from. AHSAA makes all private schools switching from AISA to AHSAA count 1 student as 1.5 students to determine what level they would be competing against. That means in AHSAA the private schools compete against schools with 50% larger student body to get players from. It is the AHSAA of keeping private schools from dominating the lower classifications. This is also done in other states such as Florida as well. It is a widely misconception that public schools are better than private schools. If Pike County was a private school they would probably be in a 6A school classification.
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I would like to know why “adults”, which I assume most of you who have made comments are, can’t just CONGRATULATE the Pike boys and not try to belittle their feat! They accomplished something that NO other team in the history of the school has managed to do. They did it with NO losses in the play-offs until the 2nd one at state. And as for the one that commented on winning 18-1 then losing 5-4 in the second game of a double header, its been done in EVERY league under the sun. I doubt you’d be saying anything if the Braves and Yankees were playing and one of them won 18-1 and turned around and lost 5-4. But, because its a group of kids, which they still are, you belittle them. And to come back like they did, they are to be commended. I could not be more proud of them. I teach in a local PUBLIC school and I saw the exact type of game situation occur this season, lost one 20-0 and came back and won the next 15-5. SO it doesn’t just occur at a Pike Lib game, it occurs every where. I will quit ranting now. If you have a beef with the game, here is not the place to take it out. Honor these boys and be happy for them! They did a great job! Congratulations Pike!
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My kids went to CHHS and I have never understood why people get so wound up about who is better than who. They’re just kids playing a game for goodness sakes. I thought it was an awesome win. To come from behind when down 10-1 is phenomenal at any level! Great game guys! Way to hang tough!
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And I would also like to commend the Patriots for their come back in yesterday’s game. A lesser team would have given up, but these boys did not! Congratulations again boys!
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