WINDSOR – A bases-loaded walk broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning as Pasquotank High School beat Bertie High 3-1 in a Northeastern Coastal Conference baseball game here Friday evening.

The Panthers opened the scoring with one run in the top of the first inning on a Bryce Keziah RBI double. Bertie could not answer in their half of the frame and Pasquotank led by a run after one complete inning of play.

The home-team Falcons scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the second. Michael Scott reached first base on an error and stole second. Christian Bland followed with a walk and Scott later scored on a Jacob Damo RBI single to right field. Bland took third on Damo’s hit and Damo went to second on a dropped third strike which was the second out. However, both runners would be left stranded in scoring position as a groundout ends the inning.

Pasquotank went back in front in the top of the third on a bases-loaded walk to Jared Taylor to lead it 2-1 after three innings.

The Panthers got some insurance in the top of the fifth inning on a Keziah RBI single to right field for a 3-1 Pasquotank lead after five full innings.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Bertie’s Alex Harmon led off with a walk and two outs later Damo singled him to third but a strikeout ended the inning leading the Panthers still in front after six.

The Falcons had one final threat in the bottom of the seventh. Matthew Weaver led off with a walk followed by Javier Pagola with an infield single and both runners moved up one base on an Adam Cowand sacrifice bunt. However, Pasquotank pitching ended the home team’s chance at a comeback when they got first a flyout to short left field and then a strikeout to end the game.

Cody Matthews pitched four innings and took the loss allowing two runs on five hits and he had six strikeouts. Harmon pitched the final three innings allowing one run on four hits and he had four strikeouts.

Bertie had eight hits with Damo going three-for-three to lead the Falcon attack. Pagola and Cowand had two hits each and Harmon had the other one.

Bertie is now 8-8 and one game ahead of the Panthers for the third and final NCC 2A playoff spot with a 3-6 mark in league play. The Falcons will play at Currituck County Tuesday in a 7 p.m. conference game.