South Warren celebrates winning the Region 4 championship over Warren East on Thursday, June 1, 2017, at the WKU Softball Complex. (Austin Anthony/photo@bgdailynews.com)

South Warren softball coach Chris Riggs joked after Thursday’s Region 4 championship game against Warren East at the WKU Softball Complex that his team likes to get in early holes just to see how frustrated it can get him.

Any frustration quickly turned to elation as South Warren rallied for a walk-off 3-2 victory to claim a second straight region title.

Down 2-0 with two outs in the seventh, South Warren (32-3) got three straight hits – including a two-run walk-off single from senior pitcher Shelby Nunn – to stun the Lady Raiders and advance to the KHSAA State Fast Pitch Softball Tournament at Jack C. Fisher Park in Owensboro.

“It speaks volumes for the character of the kids,” Riggs said. “I’m really proud of them. I’m kind of speechless, to be honest.

“They really battled that game and really battled all year. We’ve had a great year and (Warren East has) as well. You look across the state and this is one of the toughest regions to get out of. I’m just really proud of them.”

Junior catcher Lauren Martin, who played a part in the seventh-inning rally, said the final half inning was a blur.

“It’s crazy,” Martin said. “To come back from that is great, especially for our three seniors. We didn’t want to end the game that way.”

Warren East (28-6) appeared headed for its second region title in three years and a second straight win over the Spartans after a 6-0 victory in last week’s District 14 tournament before South Warren’s furious rally.

The Lady Raiders got two runs in the third on an RBI single from Katie Gardner and a sacrifice bunt by Kyra Elkin that led to an error, but Warren East missed a chance for a bigger inning and was unable to score any more despite having the bases loaded with one out.

It appeared that would be enough however, as Gardner – who had not allowed a run in her previous four postseason games – wiggled in and out of danger.

The sophomore pitcher worked out of a first and third, no-out jam in the fourth and left runners on the corners in the fifth to preserve the two-run lead.

She started the seventh with a strikeout before Bailee Collins reached on an error. Katie Conley popped out on a bunt to first for the second out, but the Spartans weren’t done.

Lexi Isable’s single put runners at first and second for Martin, who took an 0-2 pitch and lined it into right-center for an RBI single. Isable moved to third and Martin took second on the throw.

“We were all nervous, but we were all pumped up at the same time,” Martin said. “The bottom of the seventh, two outs, two runners on. I just (wanted to see) what I could possibly do to help my team.”

That set the stage for Nunn, who like Martin started 0-2.

The third pitch was close enough to the outside corner that Warren East thought it was a strike to end the game, but the pitch was called a ball.

On the next pitch, Nunn hit a soft chopper up the middle that bounced into center field, allowing the tying and winning runs to score. Nunn collapsed at first base in tears, mobbed by her teammates.

“When I got to 0-2 I was like, ‘This is not going to be good,’ ” Nunn said. “I took a chance. I took a gamble swinging at that pitch. I was just looking for a base hit. Anything to help.”

Warren East coach Philip McKinney said he didn’t think about walking Nunn with the first base open and added he couldn’t help but be heartbroken for his players.

“It is what it is,” McKinney said. “It would be nice if there was a little more consistency in a championship game for both teams. The girls deserved better than that, but give a lot credit to South. They got the base hits when they needed to and were able to get enough runs to move on to state.”

He added that even though the season didn’t end the way they wanted, his team should be proud of what it accomplished this season.

“In my mind they are the little girls that I have been coaching forever,” McKinney said. “You just tell them to keep their heads up and keep moving. The seniors really raised the bar for this program. They are the winningest senior class in fast pitch. The rest of them will continue to raise the bar.

“I told them it’s going to sting. It will sting for a day or two. It might sting for a year, but you will get over it and move on.”

South Warren will now face Region 5 champion Central Hardin at 5 p.m. Thursday.

WEHS 002 000 0 – 2

SWHS 000 000 3 – 3

WP: Nunn LP: Gardner.