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The Pike Liberal Arts Patriots took a trip to Florida on Friday to take on Pace in Pensacola.

The Pike Patriots took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the bases full, pitcher Drew Nelson forced a pop fly to shortstop to give the Patriots the one-run win.

The win improves the Patriots record to 12-3-1 on the year.

Press Jefcoat got the start for the Patiots. Jefcoat pitched 4.1 innings. He allowed four runs on three hits. Nelson took over and pitched the final 2.2 innings. He allowed one hit and struck out five.

With one out in the first inning, Pike had three-straight batters reach to load the bases. After a fly out, Hunter Keenan drove in the first run of the game with a bases loaded walk.

Jefcoat walked two in the first, but got out of the inning without allowing a run. After getting out of the second without a base runner, Pace evened the score at one with a home run to right field in the third inning. Jefcoat forced two strikeouts and a groundout and got out of the fourth with the game still tied 1-1.

After three straight 1-2-3 innings by the Patriot offense, Javon Christian had a one out double in the fifth inning and later advanced to third with two outs. After a Scott Taylor Renfroe walk, Christian came across to score on a passed ball to give the Patriots a 2-1 lead after five.

Pace evened the score and then took a two-run lead in their half of the fifth inning. Pace recorded three hits in the inning including an RBI single and double.

The Patriots took little time to respond and tie the game. Drew Nelson singled to begin the sixth inning. A Walker Stallworth single put runners on second and first with nobody out. Following a Keenan single, both runners came around to score on an error by the Pace catcher.

Scott Taylor Renfroe got the Patriots going in the seventh with a one out walk. Following a Levi Sikes single the Patriots had two runners on with one out. Nelson singled on a pop fly to left, allowing Renfroe to score the leading run.

Nelson finished the game 3-4 at the palte with one RBI and a run scored.

The Patriots will be back at home on Saturday to host Combine Academy in a doubleheader.