Spartans claim sixth straight district title

Published 9:49 am Friday, May 23, 2025

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South Warren first baseman Layla Ogden (18) runs home to the cheers of her teammates after hitting a home run in the Lady Spartans’ 11-4 win over the Greenwood Lady Gators for the District 14 championship title at Greenwood High School on Thursday, May 22, 2025. GRACE MCDOWELL / BOWLING GREEN DAILY NEWS

The South Warren softball team kept its grip on District 14 with an 11-4 win over Greenwood in Thursday’s championship game at Greenwood High School.

In a battle of the top two teams in the state in the final regular season coaches’ poll, No. 1 South Warren (31-3) got off to a hot start and was able to hold off a charge by the Lady Gators midway through to secure a sixth straight district title.

“It’s exciting,” South Warren coach Kelly Reynolds said. “These girls have worked hard and it pays off. I thought they held their composure really well tonight. We started off scoring first and just kind of kept going.”

South Warren scored four in the first. Parker Willoughby opened the scoring with an RBI double. Hadley Borders added a two-run double and Hayden Holloway capped the rally with an RBI single to make the score 4-0.

“Sometimes a game is won or lost in the first inning,” South Warren junior McLaine Hudson said. “You can put a team down early. Being able to score early really set the tone for the whole game I feel like.”

Layla Ogden, who was named the NFCA/MaxPreps National Player of the Week for the South Central Region on Wednesday, added an RBI double in the second.

The Spartans pushed the lead to 7-0 after Kaylee Wilson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Hudson hit a sac fly to center in the third.

South Warren freshman Avery Reesy, making her first start and fourth varsity appearance of the season, blanked the Lady Gators through the first four innings. Greenwood (30-8) finally broke through in the fifth.

Elsie Kirby got Greenwood on the board with a two-run double and Madelyn Allen followed with a two-run homer to cut the deficit to 7-4 and chase Reesy.

The right-hander earned the win, allowing four runs and four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

“We told her last night, whoever wins the Greenwood-Bowling Green game, be ready to go,” Reynolds said. “She was nervous. I told her, ‘Listen, you have one of the best defenses behind you and one of the best offenses behind you.’ I thought she did really well until that fifth inning. She got a little shook, but it was nice to be able to go to Layla to be able to finish it out.”

Ogden came in and got a strikeout to end the fifth. The right-hander retired seven of the eight batters she faced – striking out three – to earn the save.

The Spartans added insurance with four runs in the sixth – including a homer from Hudson and a two-run shot from Ogden, her 22nd of the season.

“I was expecting to come in at some point,” Ogden said. “I knew Avery had it, but I knew if they scored a little bit I was going to come in and I was prepared. I like making a difference on both sides. That’s why I like to hit and also pitch.”

South Warren finished with 11 hits. Ogden, Holloway, Willoughby and Kinleigh Russell finished with two hits each.

“I think (winning six straight district titles) speaks highly of the standard we have set here,” Hudson said. “Not settling for mediocrity in the program, just pushing each other to take that next step each year.”

Kirby was the only Lady Gator to reach base twice, finishing with a hit and a walk.

“You’ve got to hit the ball a little better than that,” Greenwood coach Rodney Bush said. “You have to have a little more discipline at the plate. We knew what that kid was throwing and what she was going to throw. We just didn’t have the discipline to lay off of it.”

Both teams advance to the Region 4 Tournament, which begins Monday at the WKU Softball Complex. A possible showdown for the region title looms, but both teams need to win twice to set that up.

Last season Greenwood was upset in the opening round, spoiling a potential district rematch.

“If we make it there,” Bush said. “We’ve got to show up and have discipline against some other good pitchers to get back to them in the championship. Of course they’ve got to win out too. There are some good teams in the tournament.”

Reynolds said if the teams meet again for a fourth time this season, she expects another battle.

“I feel like we will be ready,” Reynolds said. “I know they will be ready. They are going to throw their best and we are going to throw our best and do whatever it takes to win.”

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WP: Reesy LP: Nealon S: Ogden