Some of the top junior and senior softball players in the state have come together at South Warren High School as part of the Kentucky Prep East/West All-Star Series.

The two-day event, which began Tuesday, features senior all-star teams from the East and West and junior all-star teams from the East and West, with the two senior teams forming the pool to be chosen for next week’s Kentucky-Tennessee All-Star Game at South Warren.

The West teams squared off against each other Tuesday, with the Juniors winning 5-2. The game featured nine local players. The Senior squad featured South Warren’s Emily Reynolds, Warren East’s Lucy Patterson, Franklin-Simpson’s Kaeleigh Tuck and Butler County’s Autumn Proctor. The junior squad included South Warren’s Selynna Metcalfe, Caroline Pitcock and Carrie Enlow, Warren East’s Emma Young and Greenwood’s Josi Patterson.

South Warren’s Kelly Reynolds is the coach for the Senior team.

“It’s really cool to just look around and see people from every part of the state,” Metcalfe said. “It’s awesome to have a couple of teammates on my team too, and playing against teammates and coaches that coached me.”

Metcalfe tossed three scoreless innings in Tuesday’s win over the Seniors, at one point pitching with an infield that included Pitcock at third, Young at second and Morrison at first.

“That just backs up the point that we have a really strong district and a really strong region,” Metcalfe said. “That speaks for how hard it is to get out of the region and district in high school softball and it’s just great to see them again.”

Metcalfe also got to face former teammate Reynolds, retiring her on one pitch when Reynolds hit a grounder back to the circle and Metcalfe ran over and made the tag to complete the unassisted putout.

“I just looked at her and couldn’t help but laugh,” Metcalfe said. “We played together for so long. When I got that ball, I kind of chased her down. It’s just great to play against people you played with all the time.”

Reynolds said facing Metcalfe was fun, but it was also nice to play at South Warren for a few more days.

“Being able to put my stuff in my cubby one more time before I leave and go to college, it is great,” Reynolds said.

Patterson, who had an RBI hit during Tuesday’s game against the West Juniors, said she was happy to play again after her prep career ended with Friday’s loss in the state tournament.

“It’s all for fun, to know even after losing the state tournament I can come out here and have fun one more time,” Patterson said.

She added having teammates she played against during the season made for interesting dugout banter.

“It’s actually fun to get to play with them,” Patterson said. “You talk about all the different games – who won and who lost – and the situations that could have been different or would have been different. It’s fun to play with local people and definitely with my senior class.”

While these games gave teammates chances to face each other and opponents chances to be teammates, it also provided players the opportunity to play in some different places. Morrison, a first baseman for Greenwood, played second base for one inning Tuesday against the Seniors and made a couple of nice defensive plays to preserve the win.

“I was so nervous at first, but it felt so good to be back where I was because I hadn’t played there since seventh grade at Edmonson County,” Morrison said.

Morrison said she is glad to be part of this experience, getting a chance to play one more time with some familiar faces before heading off for travel ball this summer.

“Knowing that I am playing with girls from my district, it’s just cool that we are playing for the same team instead of different teams,” Morrison said.{&end}