Sports Writer

It was a rough afternoon for the Pike Liberal Arts baseball and fast pitch softball teams as they dropped huge region doubleheaders to the Macon-East Academy Knights in Montgomery late Tuesday afternoon.

The PLAS baseball team saw its slim playoff hopes end as they fell to MEA by scores of 7-4 and 10-9. In the first game, the Patriots fell behind 7-2 before rallying to score two runs in the sixth. After Druid Conrad walked, Scott Kirby doubled to put runners on second and third before Bill Hughes and Brady Dunn each delivered consecutive RBI doubles to cap the inning.

In the top of the seventh, the Patriots were unable to mount any threat of a rally as the Knights prevailed.

Kirby ended the first game going 2-for-3 and scoring a run for the Patriots.

The second game, however, was a different story. With the game being played at a field without lights on the MEA campus, the contest ended in controversy with the Knights claiming a one-run victory as the umpires called the contest due to darkness after just five innings.

Trailing 5-0 going into the top of the third, the Patriots (4-10, 0-5) batted around as they rallied to take a 6-5 lead. After Wes Johnson led the inning off with a walk, he stole second and scored on a RBI single by Drew Kilpatrick for PLAS’s first run of Game Two. One batter later, Brandon Hooks delivered an RBI triple to bring in Kilpatrick cutting the deficit to 6-2. The hit parade continued as Conrad, Matt Floyd, Luke and Layton Sanders each delivered run scoring hits to cap the inning.

In the top of the fourth, the Patriots added to their lead scoring three runs to increase the lead to 9-5. After Hooks led off with a triple, he scored on a RBI single by Luke Sanders. Following a base hit by Layton Sanders, Floyd delivered a two RBI double to cap the inning.

However, the Knights scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the score at 9-9. With darkness descending at around 7 p.m., the umpires decided to play one more inning. As a result, the Knights scored the game winning run before it was called off.

In the softball doubleheader, the Lady Patriots didn’t fare any better as a dropped a doubleheader to MEA by scores of 13-0 and 16-1. The Lady Patriots (8-4, 4-4 in region play) saw their region championship hopes fade away by getting swept.

The Patriots return to action this afternoon when they host Glenwood School in a region game. The first pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.