The Shepherd Pirates are taking a road trip to face off against the Livingston Lions at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Shepherd is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
Shepherd was handed a 13-run loss in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Hargrave 3-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Pirates have posted since March 5th.
Isabelle Hooper
| 04/15/25 vs Hargrave | 11 |
| 04/08/25 vs Hamshire-Fannett | 13 |
| 04/03/25 @ Tarkington | 7 |
| 03/29/25 @ Hardin-Jefferson | 8 |
| 03/25/25 vs Livingston | 18 |
| + 7 more games |
Isabelle Hooper made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rylei N, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and one stolen base. That home run was her first of the season.
Meanwhile, Livingston made easy work of Hardin-Jefferson on Tuesday and carried off a 9-1 victory. Considering the Lions have won 12 contests by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Shepherd, Livingston also got a great game from a two-way player: Raigen Long. On the mound, she tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Long was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February.
In other batting news, Brianna Nelson was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Taylor Wright, who scored two runs while going 2-for-5.
Livingston hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hardin-Jefferson struck out 11 times.
Livingston has been performing well recently as they've won 13 of their last 16 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 23-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.4 runs over those games. As for Shepherd, their record now sits at 23-8.
Shepherd took their victory against Livingston in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 13-4 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pirates since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
