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The Class 2A No. 9-ranked Pike Liberal Arts Patriots (14-9) picked up a 3-2 win over the 5A Lincoln Golden Bears out of Tallahassee, Fla., on Tuesday.

Sophomore pitcher Luke Barron pitched a complete game, striking out a total of seven Golden Bears batters, while giving up three hits and no earned runs. After Lincoln cut Pike’s lead to one run in the fifth inning, Barron struck out three batters in the next two innings – including two in the seventh – and earned the six outs to secure the win in just eight total batters. KC Bradford and Davis Kilcrease threw out ground balls in the final two innings, as well.

At the plate, Payne Jefcoat and John Lott both went 2-for-3 with one RBI each. Lott also scored a run. Cole Garrott went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Levi DeBoer scored a pair of runs, as well.

Pike will now hit the road for a showdown with Class 2A’s No. 1-ranked GW Long Rebels in Skipperville on Saturday at 2 p.m. It’s the first matchup between the two schools and a battle of reigning state champions. Long won the 2A State Championship last season, while Pike earned its second consecutive AISA State Championship last year, as well.

Long and PLAS have been two of the more dominant teams in the Wiregrass area over the past decade with the Patriots winning four AISA State Crowns since 2016 and Long capturing four AHSAA State Championships during that same timeframe.