The Value of One

By Terrell ManascoImages by Terrell ManascoThe call came as they were driving back home on a Friday.Fresh off their ninth consecutive win in the Gulf Coast Classic tournament with a 2-0 victory over Westminster Christian, the Curry Lady Jackets were exhausted and looking forward to a restful weekend."The news broke after we had just went 9-0 in the Gulf Coast Classic," recalls Head Coach Philip Smith. "Most of us were headed back on that Friday. It was kind of crazy. Your phone starts going off ninety to nothing. By the time we got back, most everybody knew."What they knew was that the Lady Jackets had just moved up from their number eight position nationally to number one in the USA Today Super 25.Pitcher Ashlee Swindle, who currently has 162 strikeouts for the season, was thrilled. "It's a great feeling. I feel like when it was announced we were number one, all of our hard work was paid off, all of our sweat and after hours practice here. It just felt amazing," she says.Shortstop Kaylee Horton says the news was unexpected. "We never thought we'd ever be number one," she says. "That was one of our goals. Just knowing how our hard work has paid off is very exciting."First baseman Justus Perry was initially skeptical of the good news. "I was driving to Auburn to visit my mom for the weekend and Ashlee called me and told me that we were number one," she says. "I didn't believe her at first. I didn't know if it was a real thing or not but then I found it it was so it was really exciting."Catcher Emily Aaron agrees. "It was one of the best feelings in the world," she says. "It was something we've worked for our whole lives. It was an unbelievable thing that just happened to us," she says.In nine straight wins, Curry outscored their opposition 63-9. Aaron says knowing your teammates is the key to consistently playing well. "Me, Kaylee, and Ashley have played together, and we've played with Justus the past two or three summers. It's just getting to know each other and how each other plays and trusting each other," she says."It's definitely a special group," Coach Smith says. "We've got a good nucleus of seniors that have been together for several years. Coming off a couple of third place finishes and the state championship last year, I feel like this is the year we've put everything together. We've won some big tournaments this year and accomplished some things that have never been accomplished in this area or the state, being ranked number one in every major poll in the nation. To me, that's a big deal and it speaks volumes about the girls and their work ethic. It's been a great year so far, and we just hope we can finish it off the way it's supposed to be finished."Perry says it felt good to be recognized. "It was a lot of joy because we really didn't expect to be number one," she says. "We knew we were good but it's great to know that what we thought was actually a reality. It's nice to have people congratulating us and finally recognizing our hard work that we've put in, both as a team and by ourselves has finally paid off. "Both Swindle and Perry have signed with Auburn University after graduating this year. Shortstop Kaylee Horton will be heading to Ole Miss, while Aaron will be at UNA in Florence. 78For more stories like these, visit the 78 Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/78mag