Softball Game Preview: Tarkington Longhorns vs. Shepherd Pirates

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Previous Games

04/19/24 - Away	15-11 W
04/16/24 - Home	1-5 L
04/22/23 - Away	5-10 L
04/18/23 - Home	0-8 L
02/22/22 - Home	7-10 L
+ 5 more games

Tarkington and Shepherd are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2016, but likely not for long. The Tarkington Longhorns will face off against the Shepherd Pirates at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

On Friday, Tarkington didn't have quite enough to beat Hardin-Jefferson and fell 6-5. The Longhorns have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Shepherd, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They had just enough and edged out Hardin-Jefferson 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Pirates have posted since April 26, 2024.

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. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single walk in seven consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Chloe Fuller was incredible, going 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. The team also got some help courtesy of Skyleigh Lagow, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.

Shepherd has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine games. 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 loss dropped their record down to 2-11.

Tarkington was able to grind out a solid victory over Shepherd in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 15-11. Does Tarkington have another victory up their sleeve, or will Shepherd turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.