The Preston Lady Pirate varsity slowpitch softball team closed out their regular-season schedule this past Tuesday at Okemah High School.

The Lady Pirates finished the regular season on a winning note, defeating the host Okemah Lady Panthers by a 13-1 margin in four innings.

The Preston squad began its postseason journey Thursday at home, hosting their Class 4A district tournament that also included Wyandotte and Hulbert.

Prior to Tuesday’s regular-season finale at Okemah, the Lady Pirates closed out the home portion of their regular-season schedule Monday evening with a doubleheader showdown with Okmulgee County rival Henryetta. (See today’s edition for complete details of Monday’s county battle in Preston.)

In Tuesday’s road win at Okemah, the Lady Pirates opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first then added three in the second and six in the third for a commanding 11-0 advantage.

Okemah tallied its lone run in the bottom of the third, while Preston put the finishing touches on the run-rule win with two runs in the top of the fourth for the 13-1 decision.

Taylan Starr was tops offensively for the Lady Pirates on Tuesday, finishing 4 for 4 with three singles, a home run, and 3 RBIs. Starr’s roundtripper came on a leadoff solo blast in the first.

Emilie Stidman also recorded a multi-hit game for Preston at Okemah, going 2 for 2 with a single, home run, and 2 RBIs. Stidman’s home run came on a 2-run blast in the third.

The other Lady Pirate base hits in the run-rule win came on singles by Jaiden Harley, McKenna Jones, and Josie Cope, double by Celeste Pineda, RBI single by Jadyn Roberts, and 2-run single by Kristen Houlby.

— Preston 13, Okemah 1 Preston:2-3-6-2 13 – 12 – 0 Okemah:0-0-1-0 1- 3-2 WP: Josie Cope LP: S. Coon HR: Preston: Taylan Starr, Emilie Stidman