TSSAA Spring Fling 2019: Siegel softball takes title game loss frustration out on Dickson County

Joseph Spears
Murfreesboro Daily News Journal

It took three years for Siegel's Caitlyn McCrary, Vanessa Westfall and Presley Leebrick to get back to the Class AAA state softball tournament after starting for the state runner-up Lady Stars as freshmen.

They're hoping to take it one more step than they did when they lost to Dickson County in the 2016 state title game.

When they saw who they were playing in the first round in this year's tournament, they couldn't help but smile.

A rematch with Dickson County meant revenge, even if it was three years later.

"It feels awesome and is a really good relief," Leebrick said of a 4-0 first-round win. "When we saw that we drew them, revenge is all we were pretty much talking about. When they beat us, no one had really beat us like that during that season so it was really a punch in the gut. 

"It felt good to be back here and be able to do that to them."

For McCrary, Westfall and Leebrick this was just the latest chapter in what they hope is a storybook ending to their senior year. Since making the 2016 title game, getting back to the state tournament has been a challenge. Last year the Lady Stars won 32 games but weren't able to get past the region semifinals as they fell to Lincoln County 8-6. 

The "revenge tour" started with Lincoln County as the Lady Stars avenged that loss with a 2-1 win in this year's region semifinal. A few wins later and the Lady Stars found themselves back in the state tournament.

Siegel's Presley Leebrick (7) gets a high five from Siegel's Hannah Millhorn (4) after scoring a run against Dickson County on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, on the first day of Spring Fling.

"Our sophomore year it was just really tough because it was a down year for us," McCrary said. "Last year we won a bunch of games in a row and I think we got too comfortable. It humbled us a lot."

This latest chapter of the tour feels even sweeter than the win over Lincoln County though. That loss to Dickson County in 2016 taught the three who are now seniors a lot about the game and that loss has been stuck in their minds. Three years in the making, they finally got to avenge that loss. 

"I think it taught us a lot," Westfall said. "Now as seniors we wanted to become the leaders and come in here knowing that we can beat them. They beat us our freshman year but they weren't going to beat us again.

"We were so excited to get revenge. We wanted to come back and show them what we can do and we did that tonight."

Reach Joe Spears at jspears2@gannett.com or 731-343-4923. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @joe_spears7.

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