There’s a reason Southern Regional softball coach added two-time defending sectional champion Kingsway to the schedule for an early-season tilt: It was mainly to give all the younger players who are now exposed to varsity softball a chance to see what it’s like to play a team of that caliber.

“As a coach, you always want to play good teams, to challenge the girls,” said Bernaldo, whose Rams lost to the Dragons, 9-4, on April 1.