Through its first 10 games of the 2019 season, Buckingham County High School’s varsity softball team held a lowly 3-7 record. So, it worked to improve its play.

And, Lady Knights Head Coach Mark Christian said, “That’s what happened.”

Buckingham won every game after April 25, finishing the regular season on an eight-game winning streak to enter the regional playoffs with an overall record of 11-7.

“It just all came together,” Christian said. “The sticks started getting hot. (The girls) believed in themselves a lot more, a lot more self-belief, and things just took off from there. It was more focus to detail, I guess.”

Holding the No. 3 seed on the east side of the Region 2C tournament bracket, the Lady Knights were set to host No. 6 Nelson County High School on Thursday. A victory there would send Buckingham to Dan River High School on Monday for a 5 p.m. quarterfinal game against the No. 2 Lady Wildcats.

During the Lady Knights’ eight-game winning streak, they faced Goochland High School at home and away, winning 11-4 and 12-6, respectively; Cumberland County High School away and at home, winning 13-2 and 28-0, respectively; Bluestone High School at home, winning 4-3; Randolph-Henry High School at home, winning 10-0; and Prince Edward County High School twice at home, winning 7-2 and 12-0.

Buckingham outscored its opponents in these eight games 97-17, ascending to third in the James River District with an 11-5 district record behind Nottoway and Amelia County high schools, which each have 15-1 district records.

Christian highlighted individuals that took on the mantle of leadership to turn the Lady Knights’ season around.

“Jayda Chambers has done a phenomenal job,” he said. “We go as she goes. She was consistently getting on (base) … but also she came up in situations where she couldn’t just use her speed to get on, she would actually hit to get on, and she got quite a few RBIs that way, her and Tyshea Chambers as well. Tyshea, she found herself hitting in the four spot … She just really has done a great job with getting the runs across the plate for us in the four spot.”

The coach then turned his attention to junior starting pitcher Mia Garrett.

“She’d been consistent all year,” he said. “She’s thrown very well. She might average a walk a game or two. … Against Randolph-Henry, she had 10 strikeouts, and I believe the game before that, she had zero walks.”

Garrett was backed in the latter half of the season by an improved defense.

“It’s been a collective effort, and defensively, we eliminated some errors, and that’s made a big difference,” Christian said.

Among the final eight games, Buckingham played Goochland on April 29 and 30, Cumberland on May 6 and 7, Bluestone two days after that, Randolph-Henry on May 15 and Prince Edward in a doubleheader the next day.

“We played the way that I felt like we could have played all year, and I attribute that to the more reps you do, the better you get,” Christian said. “… We were playing two and three times a week, and it’s better for the player. I’m a big rep person — the more reps you get in (with) anything, you’re better.”