The King’s Academy girls varsity softball team has had a remarkable and memorable season. And, at press time, the chance to keep playing softball deep into the postseason was hanging in the balance.
After winning its first Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 2A, District 13 tournament title in 13 years and having compiled an impressive 19-4 record, the Lions advanced to the semifinals of Class 2A, Region 4.
The squad’s main opposition has been local rival the Oxbridge Academy, against whom TKA lost 3-0 on March 30. But TKA defeated Oxbridge 5-4 in the district tournament finale on April 30.
The regional semifinal was the proverbial rubber game of the match. It started at Oxbridge on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 12, but in the bottom of the third inning, with Oxbridge getting ready to extend its 3-0 lead, a sudden downpour of rain caused an immediate stoppage, and the game was postponed to Wednesday, May 13 at 3 p.m.
The three early runs for Oxbridge came from a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning by Oxbridge first baseman Taylor Priske.
In order to keep their season alive, TKA had to start scoring runs and stop any additional scores by Oxbridge.
TKA head coach Kim Needle realized that her team had a big hurdle to overcome, but she remained confident in her team’s ability to mount a comeback.
“On offense, we need to put the ball in play, play small ball and score some runs,” said Needle, now in her fourth year as the head softball coach at TKA. “In the final of the district tournament against Oxbridge, we trailed by three runs and mounted a big comeback to win. We need to do the same thing again.”
Needle said her squad would be ready to go when the umpires say “play ball” at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
“We will arrive at the game at 1:45 p.m., and we’ll be ready to play starting at 3 p.m.,” she said.
The two pitchers in that game were the two aces for each team — Caroline Duncan for TKA and Aubrey Vital for Oxbridge.
The winner of the game was scheduled to meet the winner of the other Region 4 semifinal — Cardinal Newman High School from West Palm Beach or John Carroll Catholic High School from Fort Pierce — on Friday, May 14 for the right to advance to the Class 2A state final four in Longwood, set for May 20-21.
