Softball Game Preview: Shepherd Pirates vs. Tarkington Longhorns

Shepherd and Tarkington are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2016, but likely not for long. The Shepherd Pirates will host the Tarkington Longhorns at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Shepherd's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Tarkington's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

On Wednesday, Shepherd needed a bit of extra time to put away Hardin-Jefferson. They had just enough and edged out the Hawks 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Pirates have posted since April 26, 2024.

Isabelle Hooper

Batters Struck Out (Career)

03/05/25 vs Hardin-Jefferson	18
03/01/25 vs Orangefield	17
04/16/24 @ Tarkington	15
04/05/24 @ Anderson-Shiro	14
03/08/24 vs Onalaska	14

Isabelle Hooper spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and racked up 18 Ks. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in strikeouts.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Chloe Fuller, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024. Skyleigh Lagow was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Tarkington didn't have quite enough to beat Hardin-Jefferson on Friday and fell 6-5. The loss continues a trend for the Longhorns in their meetings with the Hawks: they've now lost three in a row.

Shepherd has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine contests. That somehow still isn't as good as their 17-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. Tarkington's defeat dropped their record down to 2-11.

Shepherd couldn't quite get it done against Tarkington when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 15-11. Can Shepherd avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.