4th Region Softball Tournament Preview
By Perry Swack
June 5-7 – WKU Softball Complex
2019 Champion – Warren East
Warren East defeated South Warren, 6-3, to win the region title and begin its march to the state championship game. The Lady Raiders sprayed twelve hits on the evening, led by Katie Gardner’s two-hit performance and a home run. Gardner also pitched a complete game two-hitter and struck out twelve batters as East won its second-consecutive 4th Region crown.
Last Five Championship Games
2019 – Warren East over South Warren
2018 – Warren East over South Warren
2017 – South Warren over Warren East
2016 – South Warren over Greenwood
2015 – Warren East over South Warren
Schedule
Quarterfinals – WKU
June 5 @ 1:00pm – Cumberland County (18-11) vs. Warren East (23-13)
June 5 @ 3:00pm – Barren County (25-7) vs. Russellville (21-16)
June 5 @ 5:00pm – Logan County (18-14) vs. Allen County-Scottsville (21-12)
June 5 @ 7:00pm – South Warren (33-1) vs. Clinton County (17-13)
Semifinals – WKU
June 6 @ 2:00pm – Cumberland/WE Winner vs. Barren/RHS Winner
June 6 @ 4:00pm – Logan/ACS Winner vs. South/Clinton Winner
Championship – WKU
June 7 @ 7:00pm – Semifinal Winners
Cumberland County (18-11)
How They Can Win
One of the hottest teams in the field, the Lady Panthers enter the region tournament on a nine-game winning streak. Rian Craft’s club entered the 16th District Tournament as the 3-seed but won both games to win their first district championship since 2015. Carly Nettles has led the way for Cumberland County, batting .490 with 50 hits, 53 RBI, and 12 doubles. The path to a long tournament for the Lady Panthers will be centered in putting up runs. The squad scored at least seven runs in eight of their final nine games.
Player to Keep an Eye on
Erica Branham has had an outstanding season on the mound. The seventh grader is 8-0 with 49 strikeouts, an ERA of 0.90, and only six earned runs in 46.2 innings of work. Her ability to get hitters out in tight spots will be paramount for Cumberland to knock off Warren East.
Warren East (23-13)
How They Can Win
The two-time defending region champion will not fear any team, even after losing 11-1 to South Warren in the district championship game. Two seasons ago, the Lady Raiders lost the Lady Spartans, 12-2, in the district finale before flipping the script on their rivals in the region finale. This Warren East team is built upon a deep lineup and a stud on the mound. Lucy Patterson and Emma Young are batting .479 as Patterson is among the state leaders in total hits with 56. If the Lady Raiders can get to the final game on Monday, they will believe in their ability to pull off the upset.
Player to Keep an Eye on
It goes without saying how dominant Emma Markham has been on the mound for the Lady Raiders. The junior has pitched 171.2 innings, struck out 300 batters (with only 31 walks), amassed a record of 19-8, and an ERA of 1.30. When she’s on, hitters must beware.
Barren County (25-7)
How They Can Win
Barren County was downright dominant in the 15th District this year, going undefeated en route to a second-straight district title. The Trojanettes also went 17-4 against 4th Region opponents and put together two separate win streaks of at least eight games. Lara Simmons and Katie Murphy are having outstanding seasons on the diamond. Simmons is batting .443 with 51 hits, 32 hits, and 12 doubles. Murphy is hitting .432 with 48 hits, 51 runs, eight triples, and is 21-for-21 on stolen base attempts.
Player to Keep an Eye on
For as dominant as Emma Markham has been for Warren East, Lilie Broady has been neck-and-neck with her in nearly every pitching category. Broady leads the region in wins with 22 and is second in innings pitched with 169.1. The junior pitcher has allowed only 50 earned runs on the season, struck out 167 batters, and holds an ERA of 2.07.
Russellville (21-16)
How They Can Win
Russellville started the season 11-2 but lost five of their final six games, including the 13th District championship to Logan County in a shootout, 18-14. The Lady Panthers’ ability to make a deep run will be in their ability to put runs on the board. In their last four wins, they scored at least ten runs in every single game. Comparatively, RHS failed to score more than three runs in three of their last four losses.
Players to Keep an Eye on
Sophomore Amiyah Collier has been a one-woman wrecking machine for the Lady Panthers this season. At the plate, she leads the team with 51 runs, 49 hits, 32 RBI, five triples, a .415 batting average, and a region-best 11 home runs. On the mound, she has 11 wins and struck out 133 batters in 155 innings over 20 starts with an ERA of 4.06.
Logan County (18-14)
How They Can Win
Logan County went a perfect 8-0 in district play this season and capped it off with its second-straight district title. Mark Wood’s club started out 4-6 but rallied to win five of its final seven games to enter the region tournament on a tear. The Lady Cougars can make a deep run with the likes of Kaylin Page and Emerson McKinnis doing damage at the plate. Page is batting .464 with 52 hits and 15 doubles, while McKinnis is batting .431 with 40 RBI and a whopping 10 home runs.
Players to Keep an Eye on
The pitching duo of Shayla Johnson and Shelby Greetings has pitched in nearly every game for the Lady Cougars. Johnson has seven wins, 60 strikeouts, and a 4.25 ERA in 85.2 innings pitched. Greetings is 8-4 with a 3.75 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 84 innings.
Allen County-Scottsville (21-12)
How They Can Win
Allen County-Scottsville started the season 9-3 but lost three of its final four games (five of six if you do not count the two ties at the Meade County Mighty May Matchup), including an 11-6 decision in the district title game to Barren County. Those struggles aside, the Lady Patriots have won of the state’s most prolific offenses with three players in the top 20 in hits and two in the top 11 in doubles. Furthermore, they are ranked in the top 25 as a team in batting average (.393), hits (369), and doubles (75). If the bats stay alive, ACS can go far.
Player to Keep an Eye on
It seems like a disservice to not mention Taylor Gregory or Bailey Ausbrooks when mentioning players to keep an eye on for ACS; however, Hadley Borders is who I will be watching at the region tournament. The seventh grader leads the team with a .513 batting average, 59 hits, and 50 runs. She also has recorded 17 doubles and stolen a team-best 19 bases.
South Warren (33-1)
How They Can Win
The Lady Spartans, ranked #1 in the state and top-20 nationally, are the heavy favorites to win their first region title since 2017. Kelly Reynolds’ club enters the field with sixteen-straight wins to their name. Although a record of 33-1 speaks for itself, South has not rolled over every team its faced. They have been challenged, with ten games being decided by two runs or less. The club is 9-1 in such games, meaning they won’t feel out of place should any of their region tournament games come down to the final inning. With eight players batting at least .333, the team has supreme confidence in its lineup from top to bottom.
Players to Keep an Eye on
With a deep roster like South Warren, it is easy to name any number of players that are having outstanding years. When watching the Lady Spartans, you are remiss to not mention the pitching/hitting efforts of Emily Reynolds and Selynna Metcalfe, as well as the tear that Caroline Pitcock has been on at the plate this season. Reynolds is 14-1 on the mound with 112 strikeouts and a 1.67 ERA to go along with a .418 average and 51 hits at the plate. Metcalfe is 10-0 on the mound with five saves and 55 strikeouts, as well as a 0.90 ERA. She has hit ten home runs, 12 doubles, and knocked in 39 runs. Meanwhile, Pitcock has belted out a region-best 60 hits to go with 40 RBI, 12 doubles, nine home runs, and a batting average of .531.
Clinton County (17-13)
How They Can Win
Despite going 0-6 in district play in the regular season, the Lady Bulldogs flipped the script and knocked off previously undefeated Metcalfe County to qualify for their first region tournament since 2014. Coach Bobby Evans’ club won five of its final seven games to end the season and will be looking to play spoiler against the state’s top team in South Warren. They feature the region’s best batting average at .401 (ranked 15th in the state) and are ranked fifth statewide in doubles with 80. The club’s 338 hits are also among the state’s best. Could they pull off the biggest upset of them all?
Player to Keep an Eye on
For the Lady Bulldogs to make some noise, they will need a big tournament from Ella Marlow. The sophomore is batting a team-best .473 and has 44 hits, 35 runs, 31 RBI, and 17 doubles. Marlow went 3-for-4 with a triple in Clinton’s upset win over Metcalfe.
