With an 8-3 going into the fifth inning, the Fort Dale Academy varsity baseball exploded offensively Monday to earn the first win of the season over Sparta Academy, 18-3.

For the Eagles, Ty Newton was the leading hitter with a 2-for-4 performance, including three RBI's and four stolen bases.

Five other Eagles players finished with two hits apiece, including Hunter Smith, Blake Mullins, Kendall Gibson, Adam Vickery and Steven Lee. Mullins and Gibson each finished with two RBI's while Vickery and Lee each finished with one.

Smith and Lee also each had a double while Mullins and Vickery each had four stolen bases.

Jeffrey Stead picked up the win for the Eagles while also striking out eight batters.

The Eagles return to action Friday at 3:30 p.m. as they play host to the Hooper Colts in a double header.

Pike Liberal 13, Fort Dale 6

The Fort Dale Academy varsity baseball team jumped out to an early 6-1 first-inning lead March 6 in Troy but could not hold as the Pike Liberal Arts Patriots rallied to take the win, 13-6.

Hunter Smith got the Eagles going offensively with a first-inning double and then Blake Mullins and Jeffrey Stead each drew a walk to load the bases.

With two outs, Kendall Gibson knocked a single to right field, driving in two runs to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.

Adam Vickery followed Gibson's single with a double, also driving in two runs to increase Fort Dale's lead to four.

Senior Ty Newton added to the Eagles' total when he drove in Vickery and Aaron Callen off of a single.

The Eagles would not score again.

Over the next six innings, Pike scattered 10 hits while Fort Dale only managed one.

Vickery was the leading hitter for Fort Dale, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI's. Gibson, Smith, Newton and Callen also each added a hit, while Callen's coming as a sixth-inning leadoff double.

For the Patriots, Justin Henderson was the leading hitter with a 4-for-4 performance, including a double, an RBI and four runs scored.

Daniel Farrar, who hit a homerun in the fourth inning, earned the win on the mound for Pike while Brantley McKeown picked up the loss for Fort Dale.

The Eagles will return to action Friday as they host a double header with the Hooper Colts.

The first game at Beeland Park begins at 3:30 p.m.