BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) – It wasn’t exactly how they wanted to earn it, but for the second-straight season, the Lady Tornado are headed to the NCAA Division II Softball Tournament.
The team gathered together in Maclellan Hall on Monday morning and watched as their named popped up as the No. 8 seed in the Southeast Regional.
King earned the top seed in last week’s Conference Carolinas tournament, but fell to No. 3 seed Francis Marion in extra innings, 10-4. But, the squad still received an at-large bid and will face top-seeded North Georgia.
Players explained the storms they’ve had to weather this season, including players leaving the team mid-year. However, the group that they have left is experienced and ready to pull off the upset.
“We fought really hard for our wins, even though our losses are still in there, but we’ve overcame a lot of adversity,” senior infielder Lauren Lawson said.
“Knowing that we’ve been here before and we know what it takes,” head coach Kyleigh Payne said. “We’ve had a core group that was with us last year and they’re back with us this year. So, they know what it takes and we’ll take it, like I said, one game at a time and just trust and believe in each other.”
The Tornado will face the No. 1 seed Nighthawks at 2 p.m. on Thursday in Dahlonega, Georgia. King lost both of the programs’ regular season meetings in February.
