The Preston Pirates put together an impressive weekend on the diamond, grinding out a thrilling one-run victory over Hugo on Friday before turning around and delivering a commanding 9-1 win over Beggs on Saturday.
— Pirates best Hugo in narrow win Friday’s contest against Hugo proved to be a back-and-forth battle, with the Pirates ultimately holding on for a 7-6 victory.
Hugo struck first in the opening inning, taking advantage of a Preston error to grab an early lead. The Pirates quickly responded in the bottom half, as Kaden Dean jumpstarted the offense with a double down the right field line. Jace Basquez followed with an RBI groundout, and Pepper Gallup added a run-scoring single to give Preston a 3-1 ad- vantage.
Preston extended its lead in the second inning when Peyton Fjeldsted launched a solo home run to left field.
Hugo battled back to tie the game in the fourth inning behind a sacrifice fly from Kobe Watkins and an RBI single by C.J. Ward Jr. The Pirates regained the lead later in the inning on a passed ball, but the Buffaloes answered again in the fifth when Zane Allen connected on a solo home run to even the score at 5-5.
The decisive moment came in the bottom of the fifth. Dean delivered once again with his second double of the game, and Basquez followed with an RBI single to push Preston back in front, 7-5.
Hugo threatened late, but Preston’s pitching held firm. Hunter McElhannon earned the win in relief, tossing three strong innings while allowing just two hits and one unearned run. He struck out eight and did not issue a walk. Starter Bryce McNac worked four innings, giving up five runs (three earned) on eight hits.
At the plate, Dean led the Pirates with a 2-for-3 performance, while the team collected nine hits and turned two double plays defensively.
Hugo finished with 10 hits, led by leadoff hitter Jakoby Teague, who went 3-for-4. Ward, Allen, Jayka Santillan and Watkins each drove in runs for the Buffaloes.
— Preston blows out Beggs in county battle Preston carried that momentum into Saturday’s matchup with Beggs, using dominant pitching and timely hitting to secure a 9-1 victory.
Pepper Gallup led the offensive charge with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate. He opened the scoring in the second inning with a solo home run to left field, then added a single and a double to cap off his standout performance.
The Pirates broke the game open in the third inning, plating six runs on four hits. Basquez delivered a two-run single, and Weston Cope provided the biggest swing of the game with a grand slam to left field.
On the mound, Kaden Dean was nearly untouchable. The left-hander struck out 11 batters over four hitless innings, allowing no runs while walking two.
Preston finished with nine hits in the contest, with Basquez adding two hits and Cope driving in a team-high four runs. The Pirates also played clean defense, committing no errors, while McNac handled a team-high 16 defensive chances.
Beggs was limited offensively, with Ethan Davison accounting for the Golden Demons’ lone hit.
