Jim Mashek

DISTRICT MVP LAYLA OGDEN DELIVERS IN THE CIRCLE, AT THE PLATE; LADY GATORS, SPARTANS WILL LEARN OF 4th REGION QUARTERFINAL OPPONENTS ON SATURDAY AT AC-S

Greenwood High School’s fast-pitch softball team fell behind, quickly, in its KHSAA 14th DIstrict championship game against crosstown rival South Warren on Wednesday evening at The Swamp.

The Lady Gators scrapped their way back into contention, forcing South Warren coach Kelly Reynolds’ hand.

Even though she had an idea the Spartans would need versatile junior Layla Ogden in the circle, to complete the task at hand.

“I told Layla she had to be ready,” Reynolds said after South Warren caught fire with a four-run sixth inning, sealing an impressive 11-4 victory over Greenwood at The Swamp. “She was. She just dominated.”

Ogden gave up three singles, without a walk, in 2 1/3 innings of work for her second save of the season. Freshman right-hander Avery Reesy gave the Spartans a quality start in the circle, but the Lady Gators struck for four runs in the top of the fifth — South Warren was the home team, based on regular-season play — and Reynolds made her move.

Greenwood’s Madelyn Green had delivered a two-run home run, a shot over the center-field fence, to trim the Spartans’ lead to 7-4.

The Lady Gators would not score again.

“I warmed up, before the game,” Ogden said. “I expected I’d be coming in, at some point.”

South Warren won its ninth consecutive game, improving to 31-3 overall heading into next week’s KHSAA 4th Region Tournament at Western Kentucky University. Greenwood owns one of those three losses the Spartans have taken, over the last three months and change, in a tournament setting on April 5 in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Lady Gators dropped to 30-8 overall, and both teams will learn of their 4th Region quarterfinal opponent on Saturday morning when the draw is held at Allen County-Scottsville High School.

There’s plenty of gamesmanship going on, between South Warren coach Kelly Reynolds and her counterpart at Greenwood, Rod Bush. The Spartans haven’t seen Greenwood ace Abigail Byrd in the circle this season, and the same holds true for the Lady Gators. They have yet to take their first cuts against South Warren’s Courtney Norwood.

Norwood and Ogden give South Warren a 1-2 pitching rotation seldom seen in high school softball. Norwood has compiled a 16-2 record with a sparkling 0.95 ERA. She’s struck out 135 batters in 81 1/3 innings, with just EIGHT walks, while Ogden checks in with an 11-1 record and 1.19 ERA. The powerful WKU commit plays first base when she isn’t in the circle, and she leads the Spartans with 22 home runs.

Including the one that put Wednesday’s game on ice. Ogden’s two-run shot to left-center field chased Greenwood’s starting pitcher, Gracyn Nealon, in the bottom of the sixth.

“Our goal is to win a state championship,” Bush said, “and I know that’s their goal, too.”

Byrd, the Northern Kentucky University signee, watched from the dugout as the Spartans collected 11 hits, six of them for extra bases.

South Warren started the game with a bang, using run-scoring doubles from Parker Willoughby and Hadley Borders to put up a 4-spot in the first inning. Borders lined Nealon’s 1-0 pitch into right-center field for a two-run double, and the Spartans added a single run in the second, on Layla Ogden’s double down the left-field line, scoring leadoff hitter extraordinare McLaine Hudson.

Hudson, the Spartans’ junior shortstop, has committed to the University of Kentucky and is again putting up spectacular numbers.

She’s batting a team-high .636, with 37 extra-base hits, including 20 home runs. She led off the bottom of the sixth with a towering home run to left field, setting the stage for Ogden’s two-run blast, and she’s gone a perfect 26-for-26 on stolen-base attempts.

“I saw something, middle in, and I jumped on it,” Hudson said of her home run. “Kind of ruined the momentum (Greenwood) just got (with the four-run fifth).”

Greenwood reached the KHSAA state tournament at the University of Kentucky in 2023, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Louisville’s Ballard High School, the eventual state champion. South Warren made it to Lexington last year, reaching the semifinals before dropping a 2-0 decision to eventual state champion Henderson County.

There’s no secrets when South Warren and Greenwood tangle, even though Kelly Reynolds and Rod Bush are holding their top pitchers for a potential game of the highest stakes. The Lady Gators didn’t make it to the 4th Region title game last year, falling to Barren County, 9-4, in quarterfinal play at WKU. They’ll learn of their next opponents on Saturday morning at Allen County-Scottsville, fully aware that the 4th Region is stacked with contenders such as Warren East (23-11), Barren County (20-6) and Clinton County (28-10).

“Rod and I go way back,” Reynolds said with a smile. “We played co-ed softball together, for the Living Hope Church team … I think we’re playing our best ball right now. We know the 4th Region is going to be very competitive. “

South’s Avery Reesy was the winning pitcher, earning her first victory of the season. Gracyn Nealon (12-1) took the loss for the Lady Gators.