At the Diamond 9 Sun Classic last weekend last Friday (Halloween), I found a pair of 2017 infielders committed to Alabama – first baseman Kyra Lockhart of Jersey Intensity and second baseman/shortstop Maddie Morgan of Washington Ladyhawks-Miller – hanging out together and sharing some laughs.

I found out they’ve become friends and kept in touch though on opposite sounds of the country.

Here’s the interview with them regarding how they met and how they get along:

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FCS.com: How did you two first come in contact with each other?
Kyra: I first found out about Maddie as I was following other Alabama recruits and learned she had committed through Twitter. I sent her a congratulations note and we started writing each other back in forth.
Maddie: We both played in Colorado last year, that was the first time we met in person.

FCS.com: Have you actually played against each other?
Maddie: Yea, we won against them in Colorado, but they got us today (Friday).

FCS.com: What do you think of the other’s skills and abilities since you’ll be teammates in a few years?
Kyra: I had a chance to see her a bit at PGF Nationals this year and Maddie is very athletic at shortstop and is smooth in the field while having power at the plate. I was very impressed with her when I saw her.
Maddie: What stood out to me in our game against Kyra at PGF is she hits the ball so hard! Even if it’s a groundball, it comes at you hot and it’s hard to handle.

FCS.com: So for each of you, what was it about Alabama that I made it your future home?
Kyra: For me, it was the school itself that impressed me. It’s a beautiful campus, it felt like home and I didn’t want to leave. Plus, (Head Coach Pat) Murphy makes you feel like you’re part of a big family, certainly part of the Alabama softball family.
Maddie: Like Kyra said, it’s the campus itself and you just feel like you belong there, like it’s home. I’ll be far away, being from Washington, so that was important to me. It’s just the perfect fit.

FCS.com: When did you first visit the campus?
Kyra: I went there for the first time October 8, 2013—it was homecoming weekend.
Maddie: My first trip wasn’t until this year, February 20^th weekend.

FCS.com: You have a couple years until you get there, but how excited are to be playing together in the SEC?
Maddie: I can’t wait, I have a lot to work on until I get there, but there’s nothing more exciting than being able to play in the SEC against other great teams including Florida, the national champion this year.

Kyra: I agree, there’s a lot to be done in high school and in travel ball, but we’re getting great recruits coming in and the program looks like it will be strong for years to come. I can’t wait to be part of it!