South Warren's Karson Williams (31) at practice Monday, June 6, 2016, at the school. (Bac Totrong/photo@bgdailynews.com)

Before the season began, South Warren junior pitcher Karson Williams was expecting to be part of a dynamic duo with Shelby Nunn.

Those plans changed with Nunn unable to pitch due to a shoulder injury.

Williams hasn’t missed a beat, however, taking the bulk of the work in the circle and helping pitch South Warren to its first state softball tournament. The Spartans open play at 7 p.m. on Thursday against Scott County.

It’s been an expanding role for the left-hander, but Williams said she has enjoyed it because she never gets tired of pitching.

“It was definitely different because me and Shelby were like a duo,” Williams said. “We always help each other out. When Shelby pitched, she would kind of overpower hitters and her up-and-down pitches would work really well. Then I would come in and my side-to-side pitches would work really well.”

Williams enters Thursday’s game with 20 of the team’s 24 wins. She’s thrown 184 innings and has a 2.77 ERA and was named the Region 4 Tournament MVP after limiting Greenwood in last week’s 3-1 Region 4 championship game.

“Karson knew going in she was going to be one of two horses,” South Warren coach Chris Riggs said. “We were going to use Shelby and Karson a lot and they knew they were going to be used a lot. Karson knew she was going to throw a lot of innings this year. She ended up throwing more than was forecast for her.”

Williams’ season hasn’t been without its bumps. The team got off to a 2-4 start and lost its first meeting against District 14 rival Warren East, which beat the Spartans in last year’s Region 4 title game, on April 5. 

“I knew we were playing some tough teams, but I never really doubted us,” Williams said “I thought we were going to do really well this season.”

Williams said she started to gain confidence about midseason and points to a win over Warren East where the team knew it could do something special. She said it also helps to have an offense that she knows will put up plenty of support.

Williams also relies heavily on her defense, and is more of a pitch to contact pitcher with 106 strikeouts this season.

“I’m going after batters, but I am not trying to strike them out every time,” Williams said. “I am trying to keep the ball low and if they hit the ball, make it where my defense can make a play on it.”

She said when she needs a strikeout, or weak contact, her best pitch is her screwball – which tends to break away from right-handed batters.

Riggs said Williams’ poise has been one of her biggest strengths.

“People forget she started as a seventh grader in the first round of the district,” Riggs said. “She’s had some experience of pitching in big-time games. She’s competitive and she knows what she has to do. She will take the blame when a pitch is up and she knows it shouldn’t have been. She’s realistic about what she can do and what she can’t do. She is good about communicating with me and her catcher and she stays poised on the field.”

Williams also credits Nunn with her success this season, saying she picks her teammate’s brain every day – getting pointers on how to be a better pitcher.

“She tells me what I should do,” Williams said. “She tries to help me out, depending on who the hitters are and stuff like that.”

With this season’s success, Williams is starting to draw more attention from college coaches – including Campbellsville University. She said she is excited about the chance to pitch at the next level, but right now her focus remains with South Warren.

And regardless of what happens this week in Owensboro, Williams added this has been a fun season that has taught her a lot about the game – and herself.

“It’s been a blessing,” Williams said. “I know my team is counting on me so there is a lot of pressure, but at the same time it is really fun. I’ve learned no matter what happens, you have to stay positive and work for your team.”

— Follow prep sports reporter Micheal Compton on Twitter @mcompton428 or visit bgdailynews.com.