‘It means the world.’ Scott County softball back on top at last in 11th Region
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- Scott County defeated Great Crossing 5-2 to win its first 11th Region title since 2018.
- Georgia commit Ada Little pitched a complete game and earned tournament MVP honors.
- The Cardinals return to the state tournament after a 25-6 season and district title run.
At one point a dominant force in the world of Kentucky high school softball, Scott County won three state championships between 2014 and 2018.
In 2019, Scott County Public Schools opened Great Crossing High School — funneling a significant chunk of once-future Cardinals to a new crosstown rival. The Warhawks, who won their sole 11th Region title in 2023 in the program’s fourth season of existence after the school enrollment split with Scott County, had never faced off against the Cardinals in the 11th Region softball tournament.
Not until Thursday, when No. 7 Scott County defeated Great Crossing 5-2 in the championship game to earn its first state tournament berth since 2018.
Coached by James Wagoner, and led in the circle by Georgia commit Ada Little, the latter of whom has started for the Cardinals since seventh grade, Scott County has assembled a 25-6 season, including 12-2 in 11th Region play. Now seven years removed from its last state tournament berth, the 11th Region’s first and only team to win a state title is heading back to the biggest stage.
Little called the feeling of making it back to the state tournament “amazing.”
“It’s took us awhile since 2018,” Little said. “I mean, that team was incredible. And we’ve all, for a really long time, have wanted to go to state because we know the dynasty that came before us and won three state championships. All of us have worked really, really hard for it, and it means the world to each and every one of us.”
The Cardinals were the first to score Thursday, posting two runs in the top of the first when junior catcher Katelyn Stevens drove in junior third baseman Aubrey Wigginton and freshman second baseman Hadley Swint. Both offenses remained quiet until the top of the fifth, when senior shortstop Lauren Jones went yard with a three-run home run to give the Cardinals a 5-0 advantage.
Senior center fielder Makiah Jackson, who had two hits in the win, spoke to the importance of getting out to a hot start, a method the Cardinals have leaned on all season.
“Being able to stomp on a team first,” Jackson said. “... That’s what we want to do. Because, a lot of the time, if (Scott County) is going to shut them down, we’re a good hitting team. So if we get ahead early and get our momentum going, we just keep going. We keep pushing. That was a goal for tonight, too.”
Great Crossing (17-13) answered in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run single from senior Emma Sutton; the hit brought home eighth grader Molly Parker and freshman Cheyenne Shaddix, and pulled the Warhawks within three.
Despite several opportunities to score, defense reigned supreme for the remainder of the championship, as the score held while Little, Great Crossing senior pitcher Brenna Parker and their respective teammates allowed zero additional runs.
Little, whose work ethic Wagoner said sets her apart, pitched a complete game, striking out seven, walking five and allowing two runs on just one hit across seven innings. The senior was named MVP of the 11th Region Tournament.
“She works harder than anybody that I’ve coached before,” Wagoner said. “I’ve had some hard workers, but she’s up there with them. And her maturity, she just doesn’t get rattled.”
All-Tournament Team selection Parker also went the distance, striking out six and walking four, giving up five runs on 13 hits.
After going 13-12 in the regular season, Great Crossing found its footing and embraced what head coach Heath Sutton calls a “player-led” culture. The Warhawks strung together four consecutive postseason wins, earning a 41st District championship with a shutout win over Franklin County before defeating both Madison Southern and Lafayette to reach the 11th Region title game.
“We’ve learned in these last few games, don’t count us out,” Sutton said. “We had the same fight in us at the bottom of the seventh as we did in the top of the first, so I’m proud of them. You know, 15 games back, I asked the girls, ‘Did you think we would’ve been here?’ And they said no. So they accepted the challenge, and here we are in the regional championship game.”
Scott County powered through the regular season posting a record of 21-5 before earning a 42nd District championship. The Cardinals defeated Lexington Catholic and Madison Central en route to the title game.
The Cardinals won nine 11th Region titles across 12 seasons from 2007 to 2018 (2007-08, 2010, 2012-16, 2018). They also won the 8th Region title in 2005 before realignment.
Wagoner highlighted the talent and development of the sport within the Scott County Public Schools system, and noted how competitive it is to reach the 11th Region championship game.
“The 11th Region’s one of the toughest regions in the state for softball,” Wagoner said. “Top three, I would say, if not the toughest region in the state. And for both of us to be from Scott County up here really says a lot about the programs of Scott County, not just the high school programs, but the feeder programs, the middle schools, and the work that they’re putting in before they get to us.”
Scott County will face 6th Region champion Bullitt East (24-5) at John Cropp Stadium at UK on Thursday, June 5 in the first round of the state tournament. The Cardinals beat Bullitt East 1-0 in eight innings on the road in April.
Semifinals set up rivalry matchup
Wednesday evening’s semifinal doubleheader — delayed first by one day, then later by 45 minutes due to weather — granted two high-powered matchups, resulting in Thursday’s battle between crosstown rivals Great Crossing and Scott County. Here’s what you missed along the road to the 11th Region championship.
Great Crossing 5, Lafayette 4: Great Crossing trailed Lafayette 4-2 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, until a walk-off, three-run home run from senior Emma Sutton secured Great Crossing’s spot in the 11th Region championship.
“I know as seniors,” Sutton said. “We were kind of like, ‘Oh, crap. It’s crunch time.’ So, I mean, I went in, I told the dugout to give everything they had. And I think confidence is what made us produce that inning. I was telling each batter, ‘bring the confidence. Know you can hit the ball.’”
Sutton opened things up with a first-inning home run to give Great Crossing the early edge. Lafayette answered in the third with a Kierstyn Kelley RBI that sent home Anna Clay Denton. The Warhawks retook the lead in the fourth inning when Ashtyn Holbrook crossed home plate off an RBI single from Mara Livingston.
Lafayette (23-9) snatched the lead in the fifth with three runs courtesy of Denton, Brynna Harris and Rylan Music, and held onto the lead until Sutton’s second home run of the night in the seventh inning to keep the Warhawks’ season rolling.
Scott County 7, Madison Central 3: Senior Lauren Jones — who scored runs in each of her first two at-bats, including a two-run home run in the second — and the Cardinals wasted no time, stringing together five runs in the first two innings.
“We worked as a team,” Jones said. “We strung our hits together. We scored in the first inning. I think it’s 14-0 (with) us scoring in the first inning, which is really good, and that helps us stay on top.”
Scott County got out to its quick jump in the first inning thanks to a pair of runs from Jones and Aubrey Wigginton. Lina Guerra put Madison Central (21-6) on the scoreboard in the top of the second before the Cardinals got another run from Wigginton and a two-run home run from Jones to take a four-run lead after two.
Makiah Jackson and Maddie Skibo scored two additional Scott County runs in the sixth inning. Madison Central’s Kaylee Rice and Reille Parks each scored in the top of the seventh before the Cardinals got the stop to earn the win.
All-Tournament Team: Ashlan Estep, Madison Southern; Abby Hammond, Lexington Catholic; Avery Lofton, Franklin County; Haley McGuire, Frederick Douglass; Anna Clay Denton, Lafayette; Miley Cooke, Madison Central; Brynna Harris, Lafayette; Kaylee Rice, Madison Central; Mara Livingston, Great Crossing; Aubrey Wigginton, Scott County; Emma Sutton, Great Crossing; Makiah Jackson, Scott County; Brenna Parker, Great Crossing; Lauren Jones, Scott County.
MVP: Ada Little, Scott County.
Softball State Tournament
At UK’s John Cropp Stadium
Game times TBA
Thursday, June 5 first round
▪ 16th Region champion vs. 12th Region champion
▪ Scott County (25-6) vs. Bullitt East (24-5)
▪ Henderson County (31-6) vs. North Laurel (29-6)
▪ Daviess County (26-3) vs. South Warren (34-3)
Friday, June 6 first round
▪ Covington Holy Cross (18-12) vs. Harrison County (33-6)
▪ Assumption (31-6) vs. Oldham County (31-6)
▪ Taylor County (27-7) vs. Letcher County Central (23-14)
▪ Marshall County (28-8-1) vs. Lawrence County (24-7)
Saturday, June 7 quarterfinals
▪ 16th Region-12th Region winner vs. Scott County-Bullitt East winner
▪ Henderson County-North Laurel winner vs. Daviess County-South Warren winner
▪ Covington Holy Cross-Harrison County winner vs. Assumption-Oldham County winner
▪ Taylor County-Letcher County Central winner vs. Marshall County-Lawrence County winner
Friday, June 13
▪ Semifinals
Saturday, June 14
▪ Championship game
Herald-Leader staff writer Jared Peck contributed to this article.
