Smackover set a state single-season record with a whopping 47 home runs in 2019. But the Lady Buckaroos managed just one hit against Sydney Ward in a 3-0 loss to Paris in the second round of the 3A State Tournament.
One loss shouldn’t take the shine off a 26-4 season, which included a district and regional championship.
“It did put a damper on the season,” said Smackover coach Dennis Steele. “Everything in sports, especially when there’s playoffs, is geared on your last game. Give the pitcher credit. She pitched well. We didn’t hit well. With only one hit, I would say that’s not hitting very well. It always reflects back on the last game. It leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Hopefully, the kids that are coming back, that taste will stay in their mouth and they will want to work hard in the off-season.”
The Lady Bucks will graduate just three seniors. But, Abbi Crawford, Sabrina Estridge and Megan Mullin were starters who made large contributions. The trio leaves behind a glossy 107-30 record.
“They had a great four years. Hopefully, these juniors can beat that record and get more wins than that for their four years,” said Steele. “But the three seniors were hard workers. They were good leaders for our team. That’s what you’ve got to have.”
Smackover dominated the 3A-7, winning the regular-season title with an 11-1 record.
“Being in a new conference this year, there were better overall teams, which made us better,” said Steele. “We had a tough conference. The majority of the games were good games. We had a lot more good teams than we did bad teams and that made our conference tough. Week-in, week-out, you’ve got to play to win. You can’t just show up. That was a big help for us this year.”
Smackover will have to replace its three senior starters but will still return the bulk of its roster next season. Several Lady Bucks have already joined summer travel teams and will have a hectic summer. For them, next season has already started.
Steele believes the team can build on its success and finally get rid of the bitterness of last week’s loss.
“It’s there for us if we want to work and perform. We have a good chance to repeat what we did and hopefully go farther. We’ve got the majority of the players coming back,” he said.
“The games are not won on game-day. Games are won in preseason workouts and practice. That’s where championships are won. It’s not won the day of the game. You’ve got to put in time and work. That’s one thing these girls did.”