The Fruitdale Pirates will square off against the Southern Choctaw Indians at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Fruitdale is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Fruitdale turned things around against Choctaw County on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 19-2 victory.
Emma Box made a big impact no matter where she played. She tossed five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits. Box was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double. Those two RBI gave her a new career-high.
Skylar Loper
| 03/25/25 @ Choctaw County | 4 |
| 03/20/25 @ Washington County | 3 |
| 03/14/25 vs Washington County | 2 |
| 03/11/25 @ Chickasaw | 2 |
| 03/10/25 vs Choctaw County | 2 |
In other batting news, Fruitdale got a massive performance out of Skylar Loper, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 4-for-5. Those four hits gave Loper a new career-high. Riley Savage was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Fruitdale kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 23 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.6 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 9.6.
Meanwhile, Southern Choctaw earned an 8-5 win over Washington County on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Indians.
Gabby Land spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five runs (all of which were unearned) on three hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Keri McGee and Emerald Dunigan did most of the damage at the plate: McGee went 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Dunigan scored three runs while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Kensley McIlwain, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Fruitdale's victory bumped their record up to 4-13. As for Southern Choctaw, they now have a winning record of 7-6-1.
Southern Choctaw's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Fruitdale hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .341. It's a different story for Southern Choctaw, though, as they've only averaged .253. Will they be able to contain Fruitdale's hitters?
Fruitdale suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to Southern Choctaw in their previous meeting back in February. Can Fruitdale avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
