The Johns Creek Lady Gladiators opened their home schedule with authority on Tuesday, Aug. 11, pounding out 11 hits in a 9-5 victory over North Atlanta at Johns Creek High School, according to Johns Creek Athletics.

Zelda Arthur and Audrey Lafon each collected multiple hits to pace an offense that applied pressure from the first pitch. Reese Stiltner added a hit and a sacrifice fly while driving in two runs, giving Johns Creek the cushion it needed to pull away.

The lineup delivered.

Five other Lady Gladiators recorded hits: Allie Lafon, Haley Brown, Uma Pittman, Addie Grindle and Kennedy Brewer. The balanced attack ensured North Atlanta's pitching staff had no easy outs in the lineup.

Pittman earned the win in the circle, turning in a strong outing against the North Atlanta lineup before Brown entered to close. Brown tossed a clean seventh inning to nail down the final three outs.

The win improves Johns Creek to 4-2 on the season. The Lady Gladiators opened the year with three straight victories, including a comeback win over Coahulla Creek on Aug. 8, before dropping two games heading into Tuesday.

The result was a bounce-back for a team that had been riding Pittman's arm through the early stretch. She threw back-to-back complete games in wins over Centennial on Aug. 3 and Peachtree Ridge on Aug. 5 before shifting into a closer role at the Lady Jackets Tournament.

Against North Atlanta, the workload was shared. Pittman handled the bulk of the innings while Brown finished it off, a formula that could serve Johns Creek well as the schedule intensifies.

Next up: Collins Hill visits Johns Creek High School on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 6 p.m. The Eagles shut out Peachtree Ridge 9-0 on Aug. 8, according to MaxPreps, so the Lady Gladiators will face a stiff test in their second straight home game. After that, Johns Creek travels to Northview on Saturday, Aug. 15, at 11 a.m.