Seven years ago, Kirsten L. Dean was killed in a car wreck, and everybody close to her will never forget that day.

In order to remember who Dean was as a person, and what she meant to the Straughn community, the SHS softball program started a softball tournament in her memory a year later.

Today, Straughn’s softball program will begin its sixth annual KLD tournament, and will play in Dean’s honor.

“We decided a tournament would be something to keep her memory alive,” SHS head softball coach Ray Wilson said. “It’s something that’s real special with our girls.”

Wilson said there’s always good competition at the tournament.

Last year, the tournament came down to the wire, where the Lady Tigers beat rival Andalusia 3-1 in extra innings in the championship game.

The tournament will be played in a pool format the first two days — today and Friday — and will transition to a single elimination bracket on Saturday.

The teams in Pool A are Straughn, Red Level and Andalusia. The teams in Pool B are Pleasant Home, Flomaton and Opp.

Today’s games will begin at 4 p.m., where Straughn will play Red Level; Red Level will face Andalusia at 6 p.m.; and Andalusia will play Straughn at 8 p.m. for the last game of the day.

On Friday, Opp will face Flomaton at 4 p.m.; Flomaton will play Pleasant Home at 6 p.m.; and Pleasant Home will play Opp at 8 p.m.

On Saturday, the No. 1 seed in Pool A will play at 2 p.m.; while the No. 1 seed in Pool B will play at 4 p.m.

The winners of the No. 2 and No. 3 seeded contests will advance to play the No. 1 seeds from both pools.

The No. 2 and No. 3 seeds’ first game will be at 10 a.m. Saturday.

“We’re expecting the same out of this year,” Wilson said about the competition. “There are some good teams in it. It aught to be a good tournament for all the teams to get some games in, and play some competitive folks.”