Baseball Game Preview: Ashdown Panthers vs. Smackover Buckaroos

The Ashdown Panthers will square off against the Smackover Buckaroos at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Ashdown's pitching crew has only allowed 2.9 runs per game this season, so Smackover's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Smackover will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Ashdown extended their winning streak to three on Friday. The Panthers skirted past Genoa Central 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Panthers have posted since March 22nd.

Walt Jones spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on six hits and racked up 11 Ks.

Riley Williamson

Stolen Base (Career)

04/11/25 vs Genoa Central	2
04/07/25 @ Harmony Grove	1
03/31/25 @ Centerpoint	1
03/28/25 @ Batesville	1
03/21/25 @ Malvern	1

On the hitting side, Riley Williamson was excellent, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases and two RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Wood Walton, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Smackover, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They walked away with an 11-7 win over Fouke on Friday. The Buckaroos haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.

Ashdown pushed their record up to 14-7 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Smackover, their win bumped their record up to 11-6.

Ashdown took their victory against Smackover in their previous matchup back in April of 2019 by a conclusive 12-4 score. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Buckaroos turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.