The Pike Liberal Arts Patriots (14-13) beat the Zion Chapel Rebels (13-10) by a score of 13-1 on Thursday to secure the Class 2A, Area 3 Championship. 

The win put Pike over the .500 mark on the season and earned the Patriots’ their third straight area crown. Luke Barron was a menace at the plate and on the mound for PLAS, going 3-for-3 with a home run, a triple, seven RBIs and one run, while he also pitched all five innings and struck out nine batters, while giving up just three hits and one earned run. Cole Garrott also went 2-for-3 with two runs, while Jackson Bowen scored four runs and Pruitt Vaughan drove in one run and scored two runs of his own. 

For Zion Chapel, Brodie Stinson went 2-for-3 with a double, while Brady Flowers scored the only Rebel run. Dylan Davis pitched two and 2/3 innings and struck out one batter. Brady Flowers also struck out three batters in two and 1/3 innings, while giving up five hits and four earned runs. 

The Ariton Purple Cats (21-8) also spit a doubleheader with the GW Long Rebels, which gave Long the series win and the Class 2A, Area 4 Championship. Ariton took game one by a score of 5-1. Brodie Lowery went 2-for-3 with two runs, while Wells Ganey went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Pierce Gill also went 2-for-3 and Aven Cook scored two runs. Easton Kilpatrick mowed down 10 batters, while giving up five hits and one earned run in seven innings of work.

Long secured the area crown with a 3-2 win in game two. Ariton held a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh, but the Rebels tied the score with an RBI single and then the Rebels earned the walk-off by scoring on a fielding error. 

Lowery again went 2-for-3 with a run, while Cook also went 2-for-3 at the plate. Kilpatrick drove in one run, as well. Lowrey pitched six and 1/3 innings and fanned four batters, while giving up seven hits and two earned runs. 

The Charles Henderson Trojans (18-12) lost 9-6 to Andalusia in a Class 5A, Area 3 contest on Thursday. Cooper Johnson went 2-for-4 for The Trojans with an RBI and two runs. Chase Vaznaian drove in two runs, while Kellen Stewart and Wes Templin each earned a double. Kameron Johnson also stole two bases. Trenton Bryan pitched five innings and gave up three hits and two earned runs, while striking out five batters. 

The Goshen Eagles (7-13) knocked off the Luverne Tigers by a score of 13-3 in a Class 2A, Area 3 game. Tyler McLendon went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and three runs, while Cody Boyett went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. JD Burney and Layton Linton scored two runs each and Mason Adair scored three runs. 

Grant Taylor pitched six innings and struck out six batters, while giving up five hits and three earned runs. Boyett tallied eight putouts, while McLendon earned six putouts and one assist with no fielding errors.