The Shepherd Pirates will take on the Tatum Eagles at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Shepherd's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They blew past Hemphill 11-0. The Pirates' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Isabelle Hooper was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February of 2025.
Swayzie Nelson
| 02/19/26 vs Hemphill | 4 |
| 04/26/25 vs Wheatley | 2 |
| 02/13/25 vs Rockdale | 2 |
| 04/03/25 @ Tarkington | 1 |
| 01/31/25 vs Silsbee | 1 |
In other batting news, Swayzie Nelson was a standout: she went 1-for-2 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Adison Simpson, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
Shepherd was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Tatum was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their tenth straight defeat dating back to last season. They came up short against New Diana, falling 18-11.
Brailey Smith made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and one RBI. Those hits were her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Chelsea Freeman, who went 1-for-4 with three RBI.
Tatum's loss dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Shepherd, their win bumped their record up to 2-3.
Tatum's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Shepherd has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Tatum, though, as they've been averaging only 3.2 strikeouts. Will Shepherd keep running through batters, or will the Eagles buck the trend? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
