It’s a good time to be a Pirate in Preston. Both the Preston Lady Pirates slowpitch softball team and the Preston Pirates baseball squad delivered commanding postseason performances on Thursday, punching their tickets back to the OSSAA State Tournament with statement victories over tough competition.
— Lady Pirates slug their way past Minco, 17-7 Senior slugger Taylan Starr was unstoppable at the plate, collecting four hits and driving in four runs, as the Preston Lady Pirates dismantled the Minco Slowpitch Lady Bulldogs 17-7 to advance in the postseason.
Starr launched a towering three-run home run to left field in the top of the sixth inning and had earlier doubled in the first inning to drive in another. Her sixth-inning blast was a highlight moment in a game where Preston’s offense was firing on all cylinders.
Preston wasted no time jumping ahead. In a seven- run first inning, standout Na’Braijhanae Phillips doubled in two runs, followed by Caris Tecumseh, Sophia Bunner and Ashleigh Hurt each notching RBI hits. Taylan Starr’s RBI double and Kristin Holuby’s run-scoring groundout capped off the inning with dominance.
Holuby later added a two-run double in the third to stretch the lead to 10-1. She also earned the win in the circle, throwing six innings, allowing 10 hits and seven runs (six earned), while striking out two and walking eight.
The Lady Pirates stacked up 18 total hits, with multiple players having multi-hit games:
• Na’Braijhanae Phillips: 3-for-4, 2 RBIs
• Sophia Bunner: 2-for-3, 1 RBI
• Ashleigh Hurt: 2-for-4, 1 RBI
• Alynn LeBlanc and Josie Cope also contributed two hits apiece.
The defense also turned a critical double play to hold Minco in check.
Minco’s Ava Russell and Woodruff each hit solo home runs and tallied two hits, but their bats couldn’t match Preston’s relentless offense.
— Pirates shut out Konowa, 7-0
Meanwhile, on the baseball field, the Preston Pirates dominated Konawa 7-0, showing their readiness for another deep postseason run.
Senior Noah Wilson was electric on the mound, tossing four and one-third innings of no-hit baseball, striking out seven and walking just three. He set the tone early and kept Konawa’s lineup in check from the first pitch.
Preston struck first in the opening inning when Kaden Dean grounded out to bring in the game’s first run. Dean later added a second RBI in a 1-for-4 outing.
The Pirates exploded in the fourth and fifth innings, using patient at-bats and sharp base running to build a commanding lead.
Bradley Winford and Wilson were offensive sparks, each collecting two hits. Hunter McElhannon swiped two bags, helping the Pirates steal four bases in total.
The Preston defense was flawless behind their pitchers, committing no errors with Pepper Gallup leading the way with 13 defensive plays.
Relievers Karson Herbert and Jace Basquez secured the shutout, with Basquez earning the save.
