South Warren softball swings for history at KHSAA state tournament semifinals
BOWLING GREEN Ky. – South Warren softball has made it to the state tournament semifinals, but no matter the outcome, it’s still the last week of the season, which brings lots of emotions for this historic senior class.
“ Knowing this is our last week regardless is very bittersweet,” senior shortstop McLaine Hudson said. “I’ve been on a rollercoaster of emotions after Saturday, just soaking it all in, being where my feet are and being grateful for the journey.”
That journey continues this weekend because of the Lady Spartans’ game on Saturday June 6, that saw Layla Ogden slug a walk-off home run in extra innings to get past Madison Central in the quarterfinals.
South trailed twice against the Lady Indians, but facing adversity in Lexington only helped this team feel more confident in its ability to fight back.
“We got punched in the mouth, and we punched right back,” senior centerfielder Hadley Borders said. “I think that’s the great thing about South Warren softball is if we get punched, we’re going to punch right back. We fought until the very last second, and I have full faith that we’re going to do that every single time.”
South Warren has reached the semifinal match three times in the past five years but has been unable to get past it.
Instead of letting the weight of those losses bring them down, the Lady Spartans are bringing with them the lessons from those games straight to the diamond.
“I think we can use it to our advantage,” head coach Kelly Reynolds said. “Knowing that we have fallen short in the past tends to help us stay a little bit more locked in and focused on what our job is and what we have to do.”
“I think what we’ve learned the most is just to not take any game for granted,” Hudson said. “Every inning, fight. You can’t look ahead and you can’t look behind. You just got to be in the now.”
N.O.W.
No fear. Only us. Whatever it takes.
That’s motto this team has rooted its identity in for the 2026 season, and two more wins is all it’s going to take for this team to bring home its first-ever state championship.
“It would mean everything to me to win a state championship with my best friends,” Borders said. “We’ve been seeking it for a long time now, and this is what we’re working for every single day at practice, so let’s hope we can go get it.”
South Warren will open the semifinals with the Highlands Bluebirds Friday at 3:30 p.m. EST at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington.
