The West Fork Gators will take on the Shepherd Pirates in a tournament on Friday. West Fork's pitching crew has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season, so Shepherd's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
West Fork made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Humble, but still couldn't quite topple them. West Fork was the clear victors by a 16-3 margin over Humble on Thursday. The Gators' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Ryelee Carmona made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over four innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits. Carmona was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. She also hit a double, marking her first of the season.
Jenna Haley
| 02/27/25 vs Humble | 3 |
| 02/27/25 vs MacArthur | 1 |
| 02/13/25 vs MacArthur | 1 |
| 02/10/25 vs Onalaska | 1 |
| 04/05/24 vs Hardin-Jefferson | 1 |
In other batting news, Jenna Haley was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Elysia Gonzalez, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
West Fork always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .688. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Humble only posted an OBP of .333.
Meanwhile, Shepherd waltzed into their contest on Thursday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They walked away with a 5-0 win over Vidor.
Like West Fork, Shepherd also got a great game from a two-way player: Isabelle Hooper. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Hooper has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Skyleigh Lagow, who scored two runs while going 3-for-3. Chloe Fuller was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base.
Shepherd's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-2. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.9 runs over those games. As for West Fork, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
West Fork might still be hurting after the 15-2 defeat they got from Shepherd in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Can West Fork avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
