Sports Writer

Kenny Strother went 3-for-4 and scored one run as the Lee-Scott Academy Generals defeated the Pike Liberal Arts Patriots 6-4 in local junior varsity baseball action in the season opener at Patriot Field in Troy Saturday afternoon.

With the game scoreless in the bottom of the second, the Patriots had a chance to get on the scoreboard first as they had runners on first and second with just one out. However, Lee-Scott Academy starting pitcher Drew White got out of the jam by striking out Dale Garrett and getting Herbert Ward to ground out to shortstop ending the threat.

In the top of the third, the wheels momentarily started to run off for the Patriots. With runners on first and second and one out, the Generals got a break when the PLAS shortstop mis-played an in between hop on a ground ball by Ryan resulting in two runs scored. On the same play, the throw by the catcher went over the third baseman’s head resulting in Hunt scoring the final run on the play. Following a PLAS pitching change, the Generals scored the final run of the inning when Brent Nichols stole third and came around to score on an error to give LSA a 4-0 lead.

The Patriots though started to slowly work their way back into the game by scoring one run in the bottom of the third. With the bases loaded and one out, Andrew Folmar delivered an RBI sacrifice fly bringing in Mitch Herring to cut the LSA deficit to 4-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Patriots edged a little closer to the lead scoring another single run cutting deficit to 4-2 when Liston Conrad reached on an RBI infield hit bringing in Landon Long with two outs for the Patriots’ second run of the afternoon.

Following a scoreless top of the fifth, the Patriots scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 4-4. After Kyle Golden reached on a walk, the Patriots perfectly executed a one out hit and run when Folmar slapped a single to right field putting runners on first and third. Following a walk to Morgan Hinson, Dale Garrett and Herbert Ward each earned RBI bases loaded walks. Golden and Sam Sellers scored the runs for the Patriots.

In the top of the sixth, the Generals remustered control of the game scoring two runs to take the lead for good. With one out, pinch hitter Joe Carroll doubled to left center field and reached third on a balk before coming around to score on a RBI sacrifice fly by Cody Fields to give the Generals a 5-4 lead.

One batter later with two outs in the top of the sixth, a scary moment took place when a foul ball off the bat of Strother hit home plate umpire and Goshen resident Hal Lee between the straps of the mask hitting him in the lower part of the head. However, the good news was that Lee was conscious at the time and moving around. As a result, a 30 minute delay ensued as Lee was taken on an ambulance to a local hospital. The second base umpire took over behind the dish for the remainder of the game.

As action resumed, the delay had little affect on the Generals as Strother earned his third hit of the day by slapping a double to left center field putting runners on second and third with two outs. One batter later, Hunt reached on an error bringing in

Jacob Washington for what proved to be an important insurance run for the Generals (3-1).

In the last two innings, the Patriots got the leadoff runner on but was unable to advance as the Generals were able to hold on for the win.

Folmar paced the Patriots going 2-for-4 scoring and driving in one run while Conrad, Hinson and Dean Anderson had one hit apiece in a losing cause.

The junior varsity Patriots return to action on Friday when they travel to Louisville to face Dixie Academy. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m. The varsity baseball and softball teams will face Edgewood Academy in a makeup game from Friday’s rainout Monday at 4 p.m. in Millbrook.