Pike Liberal Arts Softball team lost their first game but dominated their next two on day one of the AISA AAA State Tournament at Lagoon Park in Montgomery, AL.

After giving up 11 runs in the first game in a loss, the Patriots pitching staff allowed only five runs in the final two games to advance to the next round.

“The last two games were error-free ball games really,” Head Coach Mendy Avant said. “We stayed positive heading into the second game and pitched a lot better.

PLAS closed out Friday night with a 6-2 win over Clarke Prep School for their second win of the day in the double elimination tournament.

Kailee Taylor started for PLAS and amassed 13 strikeouts while giving up only two hits.

Ellie Barron and Sara Richburg led the offensive surge for the Patriots.

Barron was 2-for-3 with an RBI while Richburg also finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs.

Following an early loss to Kingwood in the opening round, the Patriots only had only a short time to recover before an overwhelming defeat over Prattville Christian Academy by the score of 14-3.

“This is a tough tournament,” Coach Avant said. “It’s survival of the fittest.”

The Patriots responded with hot bats and solid pitching.

Taylor held Prattville Christian Academy to only three runs pitching and added one run and two hits at the plate.

The Patriots capitalized on early miscues by the Panthers with three runs in the first inning.

Shelby Broadway went 3-for-5 from the plate with 2 runs and a home run shy of batting for the cycle.

Sara Richburg also had two runs, going 2-for-3 at the plate with two walks.

After starting the game with five runs in the first two innings, the Patriots stalled in the next two innings before dominating the last two innings with nine runs including six in the sixth.

Each Patriot in the lineup was able to get at least one run with Broadway, Richburg, Brandi Henderson, and Josie Griffen all scoring two runs.

In the first round game, the Patriots fell behind early and never recovered against Kingwood Christian School in a 11-1 loss.

Whitney Gillespie and Madeline Lee of Kingwood held the Patriots to one run on three hits and 11 strikeouts between them.

Broadway pitched the whole game for the Patriots with five strikeouts.

“Shelby did a great job but we just weren’t able to help her out defensively,” Coach Avant said.

The Patriots gave up 11 runs on 11 hits and committed three errors.

“We just had a lot of errors and bloopers in the first game,” Coach Avant said. “We just had a bad game really.”

At the plate, the Patriots found hits few and far between with only three hits on the game.

Richburg scored the Patriots lone run of the game off a Kingwood throwing error to first.

The Patriots will take on Lee-Scott Academy at 10 am Saturday Morning in the quarterfinals of the state tournament.

“We lost both games to Lee-Scott during the year,” Avant said.

”But both games were close so tomorrow should be a real good one to watch.”