Hilliard had lost seven straight at home dating back to last season, but on Thursday they dropped down to 1-5 to make it eight. They came up short against the Fernandina Beach Pirates, falling 11-5. The Red Flashes were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Pirates apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in March of 2025.
Hilliard got a good showing from Jacob Harris, who didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Harris has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Austin Thompson made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with three doubles, two RBI, and one run. Those RBI were his first of the season. RJ Jackson was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and two RBI.
As for Fernandina Beach, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 4-1. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for they considering their two-run performance the game before.
On Fernandina Beach's side, Leland Crider looked comfortable as he tossed 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Landen Holbrook, who went 3-for-4 with four stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Trace Farmer, who went 1-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Hilliard will face off against Baker County at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. As for Fernandina Beach, they will take on Bishop Kenny at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Pirates 2.6, the Crusaders 1.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
