A breakdown of every team in Kentucky high school softball’s elite eight
There are just seven games left in the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Softball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare, with quarterfinals scheduled to begin Friday at 11 a.m. at the University of Kentucky’s John Cropp Stadium.
Here’s a look at the quarterfinals matchups with some highlights of how each team stacks up. Rankings are according to the final Kentucky Prep Softball coaches poll of the regular season.
Harrison County vs. Lexington Catholic
First pitch: 11 a.m. Friday.
Ranks and records: No. 24 Harrison County (31-11); No. 10 Lexington Catholic (28-6).
In the circle: Harrison Co. — Bella Persinger (27-11, 212.2 IP, 222 Ks, 52 BB, 1.78 ERA); LexCath — Abby Hammond (28-5, 212 IP, 313 Ks; 30 BB, 0.69 ERA).
Big hitters: Harrison Co. — Kara Hines (.442 AVG, 2 HR, 48 R, 28 RBI), Savannah White (.370 AVG, 8 HR, 14 R, 50 RBI), Bella Persinger (.344 AVG, 6 R, 32 RBI), Emma Hamm (.322 AVG, 21 R, 31 RBI); LexCath — Hammond (.505 AVG, 12 HR, 30 R, 41 RBI), Ava Emmert (.380 AVG, 3 HR, 23 R, 38 RBI), Lucy Nash (.380 AVG, 1 HR, 32 R, 18 RBI), Sara Prisinzano (.376 AVG, 4 HR, 29 R, 27 RBI), Kinley Willoughby (.362 AVG, 1 HR, 22 R, 19 RBI), Emily Lammers (.324 AVG, 2 HR, 23 R, 29 RBI).
College commits: LexCath — Lammers (Centre).
Win streaks: Harrison Co. — 4; LexCath — 4.
Prior meeting: Lexington Catholic defeated Harrison County 3-1 in the Kentucky 2A Championship tournament on April 22.
Tournament history: Harrison — 4-4 in three appearances. LexCath — 1-2 in two appearances.
Notes: Neither team won its district championship. Hammond’s 0.69 ERA is the best in the tournament.
McCracken County vs. Louisville Holy Cross
First pitch: 2 p.m. Friday.
Ranks and records: No. 3 McCracken County (33-2); Louisville Holy Cross (22-14).
In the circle: McCracken Co. — Ally Hutchins (13-2, 79 IP, 101 Ks, 27 BB, 2.12 ERA), Annie White (10-0, 65.2 IP, 51 Ks, 28 BB, 2.14 ERA); Lou. Holy Cross — Riley Wilkins (13-6, 107 IP, 120 Ks, 36 BB, 2.29 ERA).
Big hitters: McCracken Co. — Hutchins (.607 AVG, 12 HR, 39 R, 57 RBI); Ariel Fox (.500 AVG, 12 HR, 60 R, 53 RBI); Ellie Shoulders (.434 AVG, 3 HR, 48 R, 35 RBI), Karleigh Grace Walker (.447 AVG, 6 HR, 11 R, 46 RBI), Zoe Smithson (.553 AVG, 9 HR, 22 R, 33 RBI), Isabella Story (.462 AVG, 12 HR, 33 R, 48 RBI); Lou. Holy Cross — Wilkins (.529 AVG, 1 HR, 47 R, 22 RBI), Mattie Streble (.422 AVG, 3 HR, 43 R, 31 RBI), Jillian Jeffries (.472 AVG, 1 HR, 43 R, 38 RBI), Morgan Gambrell (.379 AVG, 4 HR, 16 R, 41 RBI), Casey Cirillo (.322 AVG, 1 HR, 15 R, 19 RBI).
College commits: McCracken Co. — Hutchins (Kentucky); Lou. Holy Cross — Gambrell (Shawnee State), Jeffries (John A. Logan).
Win streaks: McCracken Co. — 12; Lou. Holy Cross — 6.
Prior meeting: These programs last met in 2019.
Tournament history: McCracken Co. — 2015 champion, 20-7 in six appearances; Lou. Holy Cross — 2-2 in two appearances.
Notes: Hutchins’ batting average of .607 is the highest of any player in the tournament. McCracken County leads the state in team batting average (.455), home runs (62), RBI (361) and runs (388). Louisville Holy Cross is the only unranked team remaining in the postseason.
South Warren vs. Henderson County
First pitch: 5 p.m. Friday.
Ranks and records: No. 2 South Warren (37-2); No. 4 Henderson County (33-2).
In the circle: South Warren — Courtney Norwood (11-1, 80.1 IP, 79 Ks, 9 BB, 1.22 ERA), Sylynna Metcalfe (11-1, 74 IP, 51 Ks, 16 BB, 2.18 ERA), Layla Ogden (9-0, 57.1 IP, 41 Ks, 8 BB, 1.83 ERA); Henderson Co. — Kelsie Hill (17-2, 119 IP, 127 Ks, 57 BB, 2.00 ERA), Anna Kemp (16-0, 95 IP, 151 Ks, 40 BB, 1.33 ERA).
Big hitters: South Warren — McClaine Hudson (.587 AVG, 7 HR, 71 R, 28 RBI), Elly Bennett (.437 AVG, 1 HR, 49 R, 40 RBI), Sylynna Metcalfe (.407 AVG, 6 HR, 32 R, 50 RBI), Caroline Pitcock (.385 AVG, 7 HR, 45 R, 43 RBI), Katie Walker (.341 AVG, 6 HR, 26 R, 40 RBI); Henderson Co. — Kaytlan Kemp (.576 AVG, 2 HR, 60 R, 25 RBI), Taylor Troutman (.442 AVG, 11 HR, 38 R, 40 RBI), Julianna Hibbs (.402 AVG, 8 HR, 32 R, 26 RBI), Hallie McCracken (.444 AVG, 5 HR, 12 R, 29 RBI); Anna Willett (.417 AVG, 3 HR, 27 R, 43 RBI), JaMaya Byrum (.389 AVG, 7 HR, 39 R, 40 RBI), Kendal Hargove (.308 AVG, 6 HR, 27 R, 27 RBI).
College commits: South Warren — Bennett (Berry), Metcalf (Campbellsville), Pitcock (Campbellsville); Henderson Co. — Byrum (Liberty), Hargrove (Murray State), HiBB (Southern Indiana), Hill (Georgetown), Kemp (Western Kentucky), Mallorie Stone (Frontier), Willett (Bellarmine).
Win streaks: South Warren — 29; Henderson Co. — 6.
Prior meeting: South Warren defeated Henderson County 8-1 in the Best of the West event on May 13.
Tournament history: South Warren — 5-4 in three appearances; Henderson Co. — 9-7 in five appearances.
Notes: Hudson, who is just an eighth-grader, leads the state in hits with 84 and runs with 71.
Daviess County vs. Ballard
First pitch: 8 p.m. Friday.
Ranks and records: No. 6 Daviess County (31-5); No. 1 Ballard (36-0).
In the circle: Daviess Co. — Raylee Roby (21-4, 156.2 IP, 239 Ks, 46 BB, 1.34 ERA); Ballard — Brooke Gray (28-0,166,1 IP, 350 Ks, 46 BB, 0.84 ERA).
Big hitters: Daviess Co. — Jessie Daniels (.471 AVG, 15 HR, 39 R, 39 RBI), Miller Roberts (.390 AVG, 5 HR, 8 R, 16 RBI), Katie Mewes (.366 AVG, 1 HR, 19 R, 20 RBI), Hattie Newman (.308 AVG, 6 HR, 24 R, 24 RBI), Kinsey Vergason (.330 AVG, 20 R, 10 RBI), Annie Newman (.330 AVG, 2 HR, 12 R, 22, RBI), Kayley Payne (.318 AVG, 24 R, 11 RBI); Ballard — Emory Donaldson (.522 AVG, 15 HR, 57 R, 45 RBI), Macy McCoy (.400 AVG, 36 R, 32 RBI), Mikayla Milby (.408 AVG, 4 HR, 37 R, 32 RBI), Sydney Blair (.413 AVG, 2 HR, 274 R, 34 RBI), Alyssa Simmons (.351 AVG, 1 HR, 5 R, 23 RBI), Imari Golden (.321 AVG, 1 HR, 31 R, 24 RBI), Mya Nelson (.369 AVG, 2 HR, 25 R, 21 RBI).
College commits: Ballard — Donaldson (Kentucky); Daviess Co. — Roby Raylee (Murray State), Millie Roberts (Auburn), Kinsley Vergason (McKendree).
Win streaks: Daviess Co. — 7; Ballard — 36.
Prior meeting: Daviess County knocked Ballard out of the state tournament in the first round a year ago by a score of 2-1.
Tournament history: Daviess Co. — 2021 runner-up, 11-12 in eight appearances; Ballard — 12-9 in six appearances.
Notes: The 15 home runs by Daviess County’s Daniels and Ballard’s Donaldson rank second-most in the state this year. Gray’s 350 strikeouts are tied for second overall.
State softball tournament
Where: UK’s John Cropp Stadium
Tickets: Purchase online at gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA
Video stream: Games available PPV via go.prepspin.com or by subscription at KHSAA.tv
Audio steam: mixlr.com/khsaa2/events/
Friday’s quarterfinals
Listed above: 11 a.m., 2, 5 and 8 p.m.
Saturday’s semifinals
11 a.m.: Harrison County-Lexington Catholic winner vs. McCracken County-Lou. Holy Cross winner
5 p.m.: South Warren-Henderson County winner vs. Daviess County-Ballard winner
Sunday’s finals
3 p.m.: Semifinals winners
This story was originally published June 8, 2022 at 6:15 AM.
