VIDEO: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Interview
The Eagles and Tornado will meet for the 14th and 15th times in their doubleheader. Carson-Newman owns the all-time series 12-1 with the Tornado's lone win coming in an 8-3 victory in 2012.
King has started the season 1-5 against some of the toughest competition out there. The Tornado has played perennial power Lee, plus nationally ranked clubs in Armstrong Atlantic State and Lenoir-Rhyne.
"Early on, you never know what to expect," head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "They've played some good teams, so we know that we'll have to come out and play. They're a little like us in that there's some inconsistency just because of how few games we've been able to get in."
The Tornado hasn't seen the field since Feb. 15 and a team .167 batting average with a .385 tally against belies the level of competition King has faced this season.
Reigning SAC Player of the Week Bre Lockett (Fontana, Calif.) is riding a nine-game hitting streak. She has multiple hits in five consecutive games. Lockett has tallied a .733 average at the dish through the Eagles' last three series.
"She's just an aggressive hitter who hits early in the count," Kazee-Hollifield said. "She's got a level cut and that's what it takes in our sport."
King batters have struck out 48 times this season for an average of eight Ks a game. Eagle pitching is averaging 6.4 strikeouts a contest. C-N pitcher Danielle Kranz (Fairfield, Calif.) is third in the league with 9.06 strikeouts per game.
"Our pitching has been a bright spot for us," Kazee-Hollifield said. "We're working on the defense behind that though. It can't go unnoticed because it all starts with defense."
King is led offensively by Diamond Callwood and Stephanie Rodriquez. They're the only two regulars batting on the plus side of .300 for King. Morgan Love leads the pitching staff with a 4.42 ERA. She pitched a shutout against Lee to help the Tornado to its only win.
First pitch from the King Softball Field is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday. Live stats will be available through King's website, kingtornado.com. Follow @cnathletics on Twitter for live updates.
