‘We’re locked in on us.’ No. 1 South Warren shuts out noise as it mows down foes
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- South Warren improved to 29-0 after adding mercy-rule wins over Douglass and Scott County.
- South Warren senior Division I signees: Hudson, Ogden, Willoughby, Borders, Russell.
- South Warren leads the state with 368 team runs and a .486 team batting average.
Barely 10 hours after Kentucky high school softball No. 1 South Warren knocked off Tennessee No. 1 Green Hill by a score of 5-4 back home in Bowling Green, the Spartans boarded a school bus before the sun came up Saturday morning bound for Great Crossing Park in Georgetown to take on two more ranked teams.
Remarkably, South Warren spent more time on the bus on the way up to the Bluegrass than they did on the field in mercy-rule wins of 15-0 in three innings over No. 10 Frederick Douglass, and 10-0 in five innings over No. 22 Scott County.
“It was definitely a short night of sleep,” said Layla Ogden, a senior Western Kentucky signee who no-hit Douglass with four strikeouts in the first game and had a double and two RBIs.
Courtney Norwood, a junior Kentucky commit, threw 134 pitches on Friday. She tossed five hitless innings against Scott County and struck out eight while also swatting two doubles, one for an RBI.
“We definitely woke up with a lot of adrenaline, and we were ready for the day,” Norwood said.
The games were part of the Clark’s Pump N Shop Invitational hosted by Great Crossing, a showcase that featured six top-25 teams with about three weeks left in the regular season. No. 2 Daviess County, featuring UK signee, Annie Newman, swept its three showcase opponents, including a 6-0 win over No. 11 Eastern.
The Spartans have been dominant
So far this season, South Warren has trucked everyone in its path on the way to a 29-0 record. Saturday’s wins marked its 23rd and 24th 10-run margin mercy-rule games of the year.
To understand South Warren’s run, consider a few figures:
- 5 — In addition to Norwood’s college commitment, South Warren has five senior NCAA Division I signees — McLaine Hudson (Florida State), Layla Ogden (Western Kentucky), Parker Willoughby (Ohio State) Hadley Borders (Missouri) and Kinleigh Russell (Oklahoma State);
- 1.06 — Its miniscule team earned run average between Norwood and Ogden that ranks first or second to No. 15 South Laurel depending on the day.
- 368 — Its state-leading team runs total, more than 50 ahead of the next best team.
- .486 — Its state-leading team batting average.
- 1, 3, 4, 9 — South Warren’s national rankings, according to Line Drive Media, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Sports Illustrated and MaxPreps.com, respectively. And it beat NFCA No. 1 Orange Beach, Alabama, 6-1 on April 9.
- 6 — The number of 10-run margin wins over coaches poll ranked foes, including Douglass, Scott County, No. 7 McCracken County (22-4 in four innings), No. 11 Eastern (10-0), No. 13 Greenwood (17-4 in 5 innings), and No. 14 Assumption, the defending state champions (15-0 in four innings).
- 19 — The jersey number of Hudson, already one of the greatest high school softball players in Kentucky history. South Warren’s shortstop and leadoff hitter and ranks as the KHSAA’s all-time career leader in home runs (83), runs scored (396) and hits (439) with a few more career marks in her sights. Hudson leads the state in several offensive categories this season, including home runs (20), average (.758), hits (67) and runs (72).
Last year’s Kentucky Gatorade player of the year, Hudson is a lock for the annual Miss Softball honor from the coaches association given to the state’s most outstanding senior player. She credits her teammates for a large part of her success.
“I wouldn’t have been able to achieve these goals if I wouldn’t have had the lineup that I have behind me,” said Hudson, a former UK commit, who reopened her recruitment last summer and later signed with the No. 13 Seminoles. “You can’t (not) pitch to me because you don’t want to pitch to the next girl or the next girl.”
Borders, the only Spartan without a hit against Douglass on Saturday, still notched two RBI on sacrifice flies, scoring Hudson both times. Seven players had at least one RBI against the Broncos. Against Scott County, every player but Norwood scored a run, and that’s only because a courtesy runner scored in Norwood’s place.
South Warren trying to keep season in perspective
South Warren made a similar trip to Georgetown last season, blowing out both Great Crossing and Scott County in April as part of a 34-4 campaign that saw the Spartans enter the state tournament as the No. 1 team.
But a tough draw against upset-minded Daviess County resulted in a stunning 3-1 loss in the first round. South Warren’s core group reached the state semis in two of the previous three years, falling to the eventual champion each time.
Hudson and Ogden said this year’s team isn’t worried about the past. They know they have a target on their back. They’re used to it and have a whole set of mantras to maintain their focus. They include: “Now;” ‘“No Fear;” “Whatever it takes;” and “Only Us.”
“We put that ‘Only Us’ in there because we’re only concerned about what’s going on with us,” Hudson said. “We’re not concerned about, ‘Oh, South Warren is the team to knock off. South Warren’s this. South Warren’s that.’ …
“We’re locked in on us. … The outside noise doesn’t matter.”
The players, especially the seniors, are just trying to enjoy the season and embrace the moments, Ogden said.
“I think a big part of our game is we’re just having fun. Out here, we goof around. Sometimes we do get a little bit carried away, but I think it’s just so fun playing with these girls,” Ogden said. “I think we’re trying not to take anything for granted. … It’s definitely been a fun year, so far.”
South Warren has three more ranked teams scheduled in the regular season, starting with a road test at Daviess County on Monday. The Spartans play No. 6 Henderson County and No. 12 Livingston Central in a showcase event on May 9.
South Warren coach Kelly Reynolds said her players set small goals to improve an aspect of their game every week. That’s helped them keep the bigger goal in the distance.
“We knew last year when we lost at state there was just a missing piece. And so our goal during the fall was to kind of find that missing piece,” she said.
One of the keys has been putting egos aside, Reynolds said.
“I felt like last year we had a little bit more ego, and I think it was because the girls had all just kind of committed.” Reynolds said. “It was the pressure of ‘OK, she’s going here (to a DI college), and you got to perform like this (kind of) player. And when they would make a mistake, it was just detrimental.
“And this time, the girls are like, ‘You know what? No pressure. Just go out and play ball.’”
