The Pike Liberal Arts softball team used a big fifth inning to seal the deal in a shortened, 14-0 win over Region 2 foe Morgan Academy Saturday. With the win, the Lady Patriots notched their fourth-straight win.

Bailey Rushing and Sam Yarbrough led Pike Liberal Arts with four RBIs and a home run each in the game.

Rushing also recorded the win on the mound for the Lady Patriots, pitching four innings of softball and allowing zero runs and three hits, while striking out five batters.

Pike’s batters got the team on the board almost immediately in the game.

In the top of the first inning, the Lady Patriots drove in two runs after Rushing’s home run drove in herself and Amberlyn Baker.

In the top of the second inning, Benton hit a double that advanced Kelly Grant to third base.

On the next at-bat, Baker hit a double of her own, driving in Grant and Benton to increase the Lady Patriots’ lead to 4-0.

Morgan Academy’s defense cinched up on Pike the next two innings, holding the Lady Patriots scoreless through the third and fourth innings.

But in that time, the Senators couldn’t get any offense going of their own, failing to chip away at Pike’s 4-0 lead.

In the top of the fifth inning, Pike’s offense exploded, scoring 10 runs on its way to an early game stoppage in the bottom of the fifth.

Yarbrough’s three-run home run got Pike started, increasing the lead to 7-0 before the Lady Patriots poured on seven more runs in the inning.