An early 3-0 lead went by the wayside for Pike County in the third inning of a Tuesday afternoon meeting with the Kinston Bulldogs.

Kinston plated 11 runs in the inning, en route to a 17-7 win over Pike County.

Pike County struck first when Allen Pritchett singled in Jerrell Lawson in the first inning. In the second, Jamarico Hampton and Michael Bonner scored for Pike County, but it all came unraveled in the third.

“We talked about not giving up the big inning,” said Pike County head coach Jim Bedsole. “The big inning killed us the other day at Luverne and it did again today. We have to help our pitchers out on routine plays and get out of the inning. Kinston is a good ball team, and put the ball in play and took advantage of our mistakes.”

Pike County chipped away the lead, scoring two runs in the third and fourth innings, but never got closer.

Kinston scored four runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to close the door on Pike County.

“We are building a program, and you are going to have days like this,” said Bedsole. “We are learning to play the game the right way, and when we do that, the wins will take care of themselves.”

PCHS plays Athens Bible and Geneva County on Saturday.

Softball: Dale County 6, Pike County 1: Dale County took advantage of a couple of Pike County miscues in the first and second innings to build a cushion the Lady Dawgs could never overcome.

Dale County took advantage of three Pike County errors and hit batter, while stringing together five hits over the first two innings of play.

“It all comes down to us making the routine play,” said Karie Striplin, Pike County head coach. “We woke up in the third inning and began making plays all over the field. If we do that in the first two, we probably win this game.”

Pike County’s lone run of the game came in the bottom of the first inning when Bailey Bennett ripped a single to left field scoring Laken Maulden.

Pike County returns to the diamond this weekend to take part in the Carroll High School Invitational Tournament in Ozark.