Staff Photo Belfry’s Joey Duty smacks an RBI single on this swing in the 60th District win over Pike Central on Monday night. The Pirates clinched the regular season title.

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By KYLE LOVERN

Sports Editor

GOODY, Ky. – Belfry clinched the regular season district title with a 5-3 win over visiting Pike County Central on a chilly, windy Monday night at Massey Energy Field at Goody, Ky.

After giving up three runs in the top of the first inning and falling behind 3-0, the Pirates clawed their way back. Tyler Williams got a 2-out single in the bottom of the 3^rd inning to tie the game at 3-3.

Relief pitcher Zac Fields, who came in for starter Jared Masters, worked his way out of a jam thanks to the Pirate’s first double play of the season in the top of the 4^th inning. Fields picked up the win for BHS.

Belfry took a 4-3 lead in the 5^th inning after Jared Masters tripled down the right field line and scored on an error.

The Pirates got an insurance run in the top of the 6^th inning after Tyler Williams singled home Howie Dotson who had walked earlier in the frame.

Fields held the Hawks scoreless in the top of the 7^th and Belfry went home with the big district win.

Williams continued his hot hitting with two doubles and a single in the contest, Masters had a triple, Duty, Dotson and Keegan Fields each had singles.

Blake Clark was the losing pitcher for the Hawks. Clark tripled and singled for PCCHS, while Mac Justice doubled and singled. Zac Scroggins and Rob Hopkins both had base hits for the Hawks, who saw their record fall to 7-9.

Belfry coach Michael Hagy saw his Pirates improve to 15-6 on the season. For the most part, Hagy was pleased with the victory. “It’s always good to beat a district rival. Our first goal is to clinch the regular season title and get the home field advantage in the tournament. This automatically puts us in the championship game in the district tourney,” Hagy said. (Pike Central and Phelps are the other two schools in the 60^th District of the 15 Region.) As of Monday night’s game, Belfry had the best record in the region.

“Pike Central is a scrappy team and always plays us good,” he added. “Jared didn’t have his best stuff tonight and that happens. But, we had a sophomore in Zac Fields who stepped up tonight. We did just enough to win. Tyler Williams has just been unconscious lately the way he has been hitting the ball. We need our seniors to do that.”

Belfry is off tonight for the schools’ sports banquet. They travel to Sheldon Clark on Wednesday and host Van, W.Va. on Thursday.

Score by innings:

PC …. 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 3

BHS …0 0 2 111 x - 5