Smackover downs Prescott 6-1

SMACKOVER - One down, two to go.

Facing must-win situations in their final three games in order to have a shot at qualifying for the regional tournament, Smackover took a huge first step in their quest Friday by topping Prescott 6-1 in a 7-3A clash.

Two days after picking up a save at Junction City, Jacob Eubanks fired a three-hitter to outduel Prescott's Riley Robbins.

A sophomore, Eubanks walked two and struck out six.

"Jake is a competitor," said Smackover coach Jeff Burson. "He didn't have command of his breaking ball like he wants to today, but he commanded his offspeed, his changeup and his fastball really well. He was able to pound the zone, and when you pound the zone, good things happen."

The win gives the Bucks (8-15, 4-6) a sweep of the two games over the Curley Wolves (10-8, 4-4), who finish the regular season next week with four conference games against Genoa Central, Ashdown and Fouke.

The Bucks play at Bismarck on Monday and Centerpoint on Friday to finish up league play.

The game was tied 1-1 before the Bucks erupted for four runs in the fifth to take the lead for good.

Smackover got only one hit in the frame, but the Bucks took advantage of a leadoff walk and two errors.

Chase Brumley drew the aforementioned walk, and one out later, Josh Saulsbury reached after his fly ball to right was dropped for an error.

With Dawson Biggers at the plate, Saulsbury stole second to put runners at second and third.

Biggers then hit a chopper to third, and it appeared Brumley was going to be cut down trying to score, but a hard slide on a bang-bang play dislodged the ball from the catcher's glove, allowing the freshman to score the go-ahead run.

The ball went to the backstop, and Biggers broke for second, drawing a throw that allowed Saulsbury to race home to give the Bucks a 3-1 lead.

Biggers was safe on the play, and the Bucks would add to their lead moments later.

Eubanks reached on a throwing error after hitting a grounder to shortstop to put runners at the corners.

With Noah Wilson at the plate, a wild pitch allowed Biggers to score and Alex Burris, who courtesy ran for Eubanks, to take second.

One out later, Braden Doherty hit a flare to shallow right that fell for a single that scored Burris to give the Bucks a 5-1 lead.

Robbins allowed five hits and five runs over five innings of work to take the loss. He walked two and struck out two.

Smackover tacked on a run in the sixth thanks to Jackson Cook, who went 3-for-3 with an RBI for the Bucks.

Cook bunted for a base hit to start the inning, and the junior stole second base to get into scoring position.

One out later, Rhett Richardson walked, and both runners advanced a base each on a wild pitch with Saulsbury at the plate.

The junior then drove in a run with a ground out to shortstop to cap the scoring in the contest.

Until the fifth, Eubanks and Robbins matched each other pitch for pitch.

The sophomore got his counterpart in Robbins to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play to pitch around two baserunners in the first.

Eubanks then got past a two-out error in the third, and he picked off Trey Rucker in the fifth after he singled with two outs.

The sophomore also got around a one-out walk in the seventh.

Robbins got some help from his defense in the fourth, as Doherty was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second after Cook legged out an infield single to second.

The Curley Wolves' lone run came in the fourth on Landon Cross' sacrifice fly that scored Jacaylon Zachery, who led off with a single to right and went to third on a base hit to left from Carlos Zacarias.

Cross' sacrifice fly tied the game at 1-1 after Cook opened the scoring in the second with an RBI double that was just fair down the left-field line that scored Doherty, who led off with a walk and stole second and third base.

Doherty went 2-for-3 with one run scored and an RBI, and Eubanks added a base hit for the Bucks.

"I thought we played really well today," Burson said. "I thought Jake pitched really well. Prescott made us beat them, and we beat them. They didn't boot it around a lot. We did the little things right we needed to do today to get this win."

Having taken the first step towards trying to qualify for the postseason, Burson said he is trying to keep the team loose.

"We're just really trying to relax and play one pitch at a time," Burson said. "Trying to get the kids just to relax and do the things that we do every day in practice, and so far, we're doing it."

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