SUMMIT – The Lawrence County Lady Cougars hammered North Pike 17-2 in slow-pitch softball action Tuesday night at North Pike High School. LCHS erupted for five runs in the top of the first, and 10 more in the second, to put the game away before most fans were settled into their seats. Lawrence County secured a whopping 22 hits in five innings of batting.

With the win, Lawrence County, coached by Meleah Howard, improved to 13-2 overall and finished division play with a mark of 4-0, claiming the division title and assuring the Lady Cougars of hosting a first-round playoff series at home.

“It was a good night for us,” said Howard. “We got off to a great start those first two innings, and we were in good shape, both in terms of this game, and the division race. We’re happy to get to host a playoff series.”

The start of the slow-pitch playoffs is still more than two weeks away. North Pike needed to beat Lawrence County by 11 runs on Tuesday to wrestle the division away from the Lady Cougars. The five-run first made that unlikely, and the 10-run second made it a virtual impossibility.

LCHS scored five runs on six hits in the first, the big blow being a three-run homer by right fielder Zyon Feazell. In the second inning, after two were out, the Lady Cougars banged out 10 consecutive hits. A Josey Nations three-run double was the biggest hit of that frame.

Lawrence County’s final two runs came in the top of the fourth, as two runs scored on a Jordan Harp groundout.

Harp, Nations, Tyranesha Davis and Amanda Rushing each had three hits to lead the Lady Cougar onslaught. Feazell, Sydney Pevey, Maddux Kirkland and pitcher Barri Rogers added two hits each. Alyssa Lambert and Callie Fortenberry also hit safely. Rogers was her usual steady self on the pitching rubber. She did not walk a North Pike batter.

North Pike finished at 2-2 in the division, thus earning a playoff spot. Bridgette Talbert led the Lady Jaguars with two hits. Whitley Howell, Skye James, Baylee Bryant and Linley Smith also had hits.

North Pike’s two runs came in the bottom of the fourth. Bryant and Howell each drove in a run. Howell pitched for the Lady Jaguars.