Warren East softball upsets No. 1 Warren South to secure third straight regional championship
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (BVM) — The Kentucky High School Athletic Association Region 4 Softball Championship game pitted two foes who had been in this position before, for the past four years as a matter of fact, when the Warren East Lady Raiders took on the Warren Central Spartans. For Warren East, though the environment was similar, the situation was different as despite being the regional champion the two previous seasons, they were facing a Spartans program that earned its first-ever No. 1 ranking in the state and was coming in on a 19-game winning streak with no losses to regional opponents.
Though the circumstances surrounding the game may have been different, the results were not as the Lady Raiders once again came away as champions. However, it was not an easy battle for the returning champions.
Warren East, which enters the state tournament with a 26-13-1 record, found itself in a hole early. In the first inning, starting pitcher Emily Markham gave up a two run home run to Spartan Caroline Pitcock to fall down early. Though she was taken advantage of in the first inning, Markham would lock in the rest of the game, only giving up two hits the rest of the contest.
The bats would slowly come alive for the Lady Raiders as the game wore on. In the bottom of the first, they cut into the deficit when Emma Young hit an RBI double to put the score at 2-1. In the sixth, an RBI single by Madison Hymer with two outs tied the game at two a piece heading into the game’s final frame.
In the top of the seventh, the Spartans would threaten as a leadoff single and sacrifice put a runner on second with one away. A hard line drive looked threatening, but was handled nicely with a diving catch by outfielder Lucy Patterson. After a walk, Spartan Layla Ogden hit a deep fly to right which seemed like it may clear the fence, but fell just short, ending the threat and putting the Lady Raiders at the plate.
A pinch-hit single and a wild pitch gave the Lady Raiders a runner at second with no outs. After an infield pop fly to the pitcher, Patterson would take the plate with a chance to again play hero after her stellar play in the outfield. Patterson would deliver as she would swat a double down the left field line to drive-in the decisive, game-winning run to send the Lady Raiders back to the postseason.
Markham would earn the win after allowing two runs and three hits with 11 strikeouts during the contest and be named the tournament’s MVP. In addition to Markham, Patterson, Hymer, Haylie Brasel and Maude Forrester would all represent Warren East on the all-tournament team.
The Lady Raiders will now head into the KHSAA state tournament where they will play Region 2 champions Henderson County in the first round on June 12 at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington.