Lady Wildcats ready to host Crossett in softball season opener
On paper, El Dorado's softball roster could be as strong as ever. The Lady Wildcats beat Magnolia 8-7 in a benefit game last week and will host Crossett Monday in the season opener, beginning at 5 p.m.
Offensively, the Lady Wildcats have a good mix of power and speed. Defensively, the team returns experience on the infield and, hopefully, improved pitching.
“Offensively, we have a good mix of power and speed. We have big bats with Cammie Gadberry and Delaney Loyd with some additional pop in the bats of both Fudges, Kaycee Otwell and Hollis Smith. We also have some speed to contend with Jaelynn Dumas, Zoey Walker, Ava Whisnant, Jaylah Davis and Haley Dyer. This will allow us some flexibility strategy wise at the plate. We don't have to be one dimensional. We should be able to use situational strategies that put us in better positions to be successful. We have the ability to take extra bases and put more pressure on defenses on the routine plays.”
El Dorado will return three-fourths of its infield with Loyd back to anchor the outfield. Pitching will be the key defensively.
“Our overall athleticism will be a big plus for us defensively. We have kids that can make plays defensively above the routine plays and that takes hits away from the other team,” said Ezell. “Pitching to contact and playing solid defense is one of the priorities this year. We have to limit the free bases in order to be successful. You can't defend a walk or a hit batter. Giving the other team base runners without making them earn it usually ends up in runs for the other team. We have to do a better job of that this season. Coach (Marissa) Rice has done a good job working with our pitchers on this and so far, during our scrimmages they have limited this outside of one scrimmage. This last
scrimmage we only had one walk between the two pitchers. We want our opponents to have to earn everything.”
As the season approached, the Lady Wildcats were still unsettled on a regular lineup going into the benefit game. Ezell is banking on the competition sharpening the athletes so when the starters emerge, the group will be battle tested.
“Our goal is to compete on every pitch of every game. If we can do enough of the small things at a highly efficient level, we should provide ourselves a chance to win. We can't take a pitch off and expect to beat the teams on our schedule,” said Ezell. “We have to scrap and compete at our highest level every game in order to return to the state tournament. We will have to battle it out with Benton, Sheridan, White Hall, Lake Hamilton, Arkansas High, Lakeside, Hot Springs and Pine Bluff. Benton has not lost a game (64 straight) in two seasons, winning backto-back state titles. With the new conference format, we will now face the same school twice in the same week. Any injuries or illness to a key player can drastically affect the standings if they have to miss a week that you are playing teams you are competing with for those four playoff spots. With Benton returning to our conference and no teams being removed, we are now playing conference games the first week of the season instead of having two weeks of non-conference games to prepare for the 5A South. We feel like we should be able to contend for a playoff spot this year.”