King's Academy softball gives state tournament win mixed reviews

MURFREESBORO — Clutch defense and timely hitting Thursday gave The King's Academy another chance to win a Division II-A state softball championship.

The Lady Lions weren't overly pleased with their 5-2 second-round victory over Donelson Christian Academy, however, which reflected the standards befitting a defending champion.

 "Don't get me wrong, we're definitely happy about the win and advancing to the state championship," catcher Brianna Connatser said. "But we're not satisfied with the way we played. I think we came out with laziness kind of I guess, not ready to execute the things coach told us that we would have to execute. ... I don't think we're satisfied at all with the way we played."

The coach to whom Connatser referred is Marc Weekly, the son of Tennessee co-head softball coach Ralph Weekly. He has built the program upon high ground, which was evident in assessing his team's play.

"I just tried to tell them that I'm so pleased with what we're doing, but I don't think we brought the little things," Weekly said. "I just think we came into the game flat and Donelson Christian punched us right in the face."

DCA pitcher Alex Behnke ended the top of the seventh inning by snagging a line drive and then staring into The King's Academy dugout.

"I think the move was kind of cocky," TKA left fielder Taylor Weekly said. "But she's got that much confidence."

DCA (17-10) then loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and scored a run before the Lady Lions (35-3) escaped and advanced to Friday's championship game of the double-elimination tournament against Friendship Christian at 11 a.m. EDT at the Starplex.     

"I said to (the players) that was one of the things I was mad about," Marc Weekly said. "When a team makes a show like that and you come out of the dugout pumping your chest, you don't load the bases the next inning."

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The ending wasn't enough to negate King's Academy's four-run fifth, which broke a 1-1  tie. The big inning followed a big defensive play by Connatser, who fielded the carom of a wild pitch off the backstop in the bottom of the fourth and got back to home plate in time to tag out a runner trying to score from third.

"It definitely got us pumped up a lot," Connatser said, "let us get back on it, hitting-wise."