Softball Game Preview: Concord Pirates vs. Shirley Blue Devils

The Concord Pirates will face off against the Shirley Blue Devils at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Concord is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.

Shirley's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Thursday: Concord hadn't allowed a single run the last four times they've hit the field. Concord's pitcher stepped up to hand Calico Rock a 4-0 shutout on Tuesday.

The result came thanks to L Cornett's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up 16 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.

Taylor White

Hits (Career)

04/15/25 @ Calico Rock	4
03/13/25 vs Calico Rock	2
04/10/25 @ Midland	1
04/09/25 @ Viola	1
04/01/25 @ West Side	1

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Taylor White, who scored a run and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave her a new career-high.

White wasn't the only one making solid contact: Concord kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in three consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Shirley started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against Viola. They lost 23-12 to the Longhorns on Tuesday. The Blue Devils haven't had much luck with the Longhorns recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.

Concord pushed their record up to 12-7 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.0 runs on average over those games. As for Shirley, their loss dropped their record down to 3-10.

Concord took their victory against Shirley when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 21-2 score. Do the Pirates have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Blue Devils turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.