WALK-OFF WINNER: Hopkins’ 2-run blast lifts ACS over East

Published 11:03 am Friday, May 9, 2025

By Jeff Nations

SCOTTSVILLE – Allen County-Scottsville sophomore Payton Hopkins lived the dream of many a ballplayer Thursday.

The Lady Patriots’ starting second baseman walloped a walk-off, two-run home run to lift her team to a a 3-2 comeback victory against visiting District 15 rival Warren East.

It was the team-leading 11th homer of the season for Hopkins, but none have been bigger than the shot she launched against the Lady Raiders.

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“Kids, they grow up putting themselves in that situation,” ACS softball coach Brad Bonds said. “That’s something they dream of doing. She’ll replay that in her life for a long time, that one moment. And you’re building these memories as a young student of the game. I’m very proud for her Payton in that moment.”

Down 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, ACS (22-2 overall, 4-0 District 15) got a one-out rally going when Jacie Rice reached first on a hit-by-pitch. That brought up Hopkins, who crushed a pitch for a blast over the fence in right-center field.

There’s still plenty of time left, but Hopkins couldn’t think of a bigger hit – so far – in her high school career.

“No, I don’t think so,” Hopkins said. “I’ve never hit a walk-off like that, and that was a very important one.”

Hopkins’ home run salvaged the day for the Lady Patriots, who struggled to accomplish much against Lady Raiders starting pitcher Tristen Lindsey. The sophomore right-hander, who held the potent ACS lineup to five hits, was backed by a rock-solid defense that produced a highlight-reel catch in the bottom of the fifth.

East senior center fielder Kenzie Upton made delivered that defensive gem with a full-out sprint to chase down Rice’s leadoff shot deep to the fence. – Upton chased down the drive before slamming into a fence pole. The impact knocked the wind out of Upton, who held onto the ball to record the out.

The next inning, it was Upton’s turn to get victimized when she was robbed of a base hit. ACS left fielder Shiloh Knievel made a diving catch of Upton’s sinking liner for another stellar defensive play.

The Lady Patriots opened the scoring in the bottom of the third when ACS starting pitcher Addison Ausbrooks helped her own cause with an RBI single to center. That was nearly enough offense for the junior right-hander, who held Warren East (19-7, 2-4) to just five hits.

The Lady Raiders knotted the score when Kynleigh Barrick, who led off with a single, came around to score on a wild pitch.

East pushed ahead the next inning when Kaylee Jones reached on a three-base error before Jordan Brooks came through with a two-out RBI single.

ACS threatened in the fifth, but left two runners on – the Lady Patriots had eight stranded base runners in all.

“I do not feel like we hit the ball well,” Bonds said. “A lot of that is attibuted to Lindsey from Warren East. I thought she pitched a great game. She kept us off balance, she spun the ball pretty good. Defensively they are really, really good and we talk about that. They don’t make mistakes defensively, so you have to square the ball up and that’s just something we didn’t do tonight. And we have been doing that, it’s just one of those nights. But fortunately for us, we were able to scratch out a win.

“Ausbrooks through a really good game. Defensively, we worked ourselves out of a few situations. We weren’t necessarily clean, but we worked ourselves out of them and gave ourselves a chance.”

Ausbrooks got the complete-game win, allowing two runs (one earned) off five hits and no walks. Ausbrooks added a 2-for-3 day at the plate, joining Hopkins (2-for-3) as ACS’s lone multiple-hit producers.

Lindsey, who tallied a double for East’s lone extra-base hit, took the loss.

“It’s a strong district,” Lady Raiders coach Jennifer Brooks said. “Coming into it, we had won one against them and they’s won one against us so we were looking to see how it would be tonight before we go into district (tournament) play in a couple weeks.

“I think after this game, we’ve got some things to work on but we’re not hanging our heads and getting down and out. Tristen pitched a great game, Kenzie made a heckuva catch in the outfield.”

East was slated to host Oldham County on Friday. ACS has three game scheduled for Saturday’s Best of the West tournament at Buchanan Park in Bowling Green. The Lady Patriots will face Trigg County, Apollo and Oldham County in the event.

WEHS 000 110 0 – 2 5 0

ACSHS 001 000 2 – 3 5 3

WP: Ausbrooks. LP: Lindsey.

About Jeff Nations

Sports Editor, Bowling Green Daily News

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