The Hamshire-Fannett Longhorns will challenge the Shepherd Pirates at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Hamshire-Fannett made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Hardin-Jefferson, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Everything went Hamshire-Fannett's way against Hardin-Jefferson on Tuesday as Hamshire-Fannett made off with a 12-3 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Longhorns considering their one-run performance the game before.
Hamshire-Fannett got a great performance from Jade Hill as she struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). Hill has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Avery Gallier was a standout: she went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Olivia Moore, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with one home run and three runs.
Hamshire-Fannett kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Shepherd got the win against Tarkington on Tuesday by a conclusive 20-5. Considering the Pirates have won eight contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Isabelle Hooper made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 11 batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). Hooper was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Neveah Murphey, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. What's more, she posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in February. Skyleigh Lagow was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
The victory made it two in a row for Shepherd and bumps their season record up to 18-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.5 runs over those games. As for Hamshire-Fannett, they now have a winning record of 12-11-2.
Everything went Hamshire-Fannett's way against Shepherd when the teams last played back in April of 2022, as Hamshire-Fannett made off with a 9-3 win. Does Hamshire-Fannett have another victory up their sleeve, or will Shepherd turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
