Pine Forest extended their losing streak to three on Tuesday, dropping them down to 3-11. They fell 14-10 to the Hoke County Bucks. Even if the Trojans couldn't come away with the victory, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their hitters, which had struggled int the games prior.
Aaliyah Roche was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She struck out 11 batters over nine innings while giving up seven earned (and seven unearned) runs off 11 hits. Roche was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Hannah Miller and Savannah Winstead stepped up to the plate in a big way. Miller went 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Winstead went 2-for-5 with one triple and two RBI.
As for Hoke County, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 10-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.5 runs over those games.
On Hoke County's side, Niya Jones spent all nine innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and six unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up 16 Ks. Those 16 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for Jones.
At the plate, McKenzie Freeman and Victoria Brock did most of the damage at the plate: Freeman went 4-for-5 with three runs, two RBI, and one double, while Brock went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most hits Freeman has posted since back in April of 2025. The team also got some help courtesy of Kennedi Bowman, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI.
Hoke County wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next game, a 4-2 win against Purnell Swett on the 1st. Hopefully Pine Forest paid attention to the Bucks' contest: the next time they hit the field , they'll take on the Bucks at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
