OXFORD, Ala. – The last out of a season is always tough, no matter how successful a season it was. Such was the case Tuesday afternoon for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
The Fillies fell 8-0 to Florida Southwestern in the consolation round of the NJCAA World Series, putting a cap on a year that was more than anyone expected. With a roster of four sophomores and 19 freshmen as well as a first-year head coach, the Fillies put an exclamation point on their final year in the NJCAA by winning the state tournament followed by a Mid-Atlantic championship and the program’s first berth in the World Series in five years.
“I couldn’t have drawn this year up any better,” Coach Mike Reed said following Tuesday’s loss. “I’m so proud of this team. I’ve never had a team trust me like they did this year. I asked them to do that and they jumped in and did everything I asked of them.”
The final game pitted ABAC against the three-time defending national champion in the Bucs as they were upset earlier Tuesday by Odessa 12-7. That unexpectedly put the fourth-seeded team in the consolation bracket against the Fillies and the Bucs showed the type of play that has filled up their trophy case. Pitcher Lea Chevrier, a powerful right-hander from Quebec, limited the young Fillies to two hits and never allowed a runner into scoring position.
Still, ABAC trailed only 2-0 after four innings thanks to another sterling performance from freshman Jaci Smiley. The Ludowici southpaw at bay until the Bucs broke the game open in the fifth. Sydney McCray and Skylar Brennan had RBI singles and McCray later scored on a wild pitch for a 5-0 lead. Facing reliever Emilee Zetmeir in the sixth, FSW added three more and used a perfectly executed squeeze bunt to score the eighth and final run.
Anna Hutchison and Ava Roland collected ABAC’s two hits. The Fillies end the season at 34-18.
“We knew they were good and we were hoping to meet them a little later in the tournament,” Reed said. “Losing that first game put us in a tight spot. But our team has nothing to hang their heads about and they know that. It was a great year and I appreciate the support we got from our fans and from our folks at ABAC.”
ABAC will join the Southern States Conference next year and officially become an NAIA member.