WEEK TWO RANKINGS
1. Corbin (3-3)
It’s early, but for some reason the defending 13th Region champions aren’t clicking. Losses to Bath County, and Pulaski County are games they could have won, but struggled to get the wins.
Defensively, the Lady Redhounds haven’t been as strong this season. Danni Foley leads the team with a 2-1 record. Her ERA stands at 6.07 but expect that to get trimmed down a lot by season’s end. Kallie Housley is 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA while Abi Beller has pitched in two games, and has an 18.79 ERA.
Raegan Hinkle is 5-for-7 on the season for a .714 batting average while Alana Stidham only has three at-bats, but has collected two hits, and three stolen bases. Morgan Hicks is batting .500, and leads the team with two home runs.
2. North Laurel (7-1)
The Lady Jaguars are close to unseating Corbin at the top-ranked team. North Laurel’s early resume is impressive with wins over Rockcastle County, Hazard, Wolfe County, and George Rogers Clark.
Chris Edwards possesses the youngest, and deepest pitching staff in the region. Freshman Haley Cooper is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA while eighth grader Reagan Isaac is 3-0, and has two saves. She has a 2.67 ERA, striking out 21 batters in 20 innings. Seventh grader Emma Carl continues to shine, with a 3-0 mark, and a 3.29 ERA. She’s struck out -7 batters in 17 innings while North Laurel’s defense has been stellar. Out of the 24 runs that have been scored against the Lady Jaguars, only five have been unearned. Offensively, senior Emily Sizemore has a .484 batting average along with 15 hits, and nine steals. Katie Sams is batting .484 with two home runs, 15 hits, 15 RBI, and 16 runs. Braylee Fawbush is batting .407 while Saige McClure is hitting .400.
3. South Laurel (5-2)
After starting the season with two losses, the Lady Cardinals are now red-hot, winners of five straight. Coach Carly Mink has done a fantastic job making sure her team didn’t get down on themselves after the slow beginning to the season. South Laurel’s success has come from the plate, and the pitcher’s circle. The Lady Cardinals have also been solid defensively, too, only eight runs have scored off errors this season. The duo of eighth grader Kenzie Williams, and senior Madison Worley has been great. Williams has won two in a row, and lowered her ERA to 4.82. She has 35 strikeouts in 23 innings of work. Worley is perfect at 3-0 with a 2.67 ERA. She has 10 Ks in 21 innings of work while allowing only 15 hits. Offensively, eighth grader Emmie Rice has been huge. She leads the team with a .545 batting average, four home runs, 13 RBI, and 12 hits. Morgan Jackson is batting .478 while Worley is batting .400.
4. Clay County (5-1)
A 10-1 setback at home to South Laurel hasn’t slowed the Lady Tigers down at all. In fact, they’ve won four in a row since with wins over Harlan County, Jackson County, Whitley County, and Bell County. Abby Bowling has been impressive in the pitcher’s circle. She has a 5-1 record, a 3.50 ERA while striking out 56 batters in 42 innings. She also owns a .368 batting average. Holly Jackson has a .400 average while Kylie Frost is hitting .333. This is definitely a team to keep an eye on.
5. Harlan County (5-2)
The Lady Black Bears are a dangerous team. Their lone regional loss was to Clay County in a hard fought 2-2 loss. Pitcher Madison Blair has been sharp, allowing only 35 hits in 39 innings of work. She also has 26 strikeouts, and a 2.17 ERA. Lesleigh Brown leads Harlan County with a .526 batting average.
6. Bell County (4-2)
The jury is still out on the Lady Bobcats. They started with four straight wins and have now lost two in a row against Harlan, and Clay County.
Jada Boateng leads the Lady Bobcats with a .667 batting average. She has 14 hits, 13 RBI, and six stolen bases. Mataya Aumus has turned in a stellar season so far, batting .588 with 10 hits, nine RBI, and 11 stolen bases. She’s also 3-2 in the pitcher’s circle this season while striking out out 45 batters in 35 innings worked. Jordan Muncy has been red-hot at the plate, too. She’s batting .579 with 11 hits, and four RBI.
7. Middlesboro (5-4)
The Lady Yellow Jackets have been up and down to say the least but look to be hitting stride after knocking off Harlan, 18-8, this past week. No player stats can be provided due to the Lady Yellow Jackets’ stats not being updated since March 20.
8. Whitley County (3-8)
Coach Angela Singleton has challenged her team early on with one of the toughest skates in the region. Once Whitley County starts firing in all cylinders, the Lady Colonels will be a tough team to beat. Morgan Huddleston has been solid at the plate, hitting .486 with two home runs, 20 RBI, and 18 hits. Ryleigh Petrey’s bat is warming up, too. She’s hitting .417 with 14 RBI, and six stolen bases.
The key to Whitley County’s success is pitching and defense. The Lady Colonels currently posses a 7.86 ERA while 61 of their 134 runs they’ve given up have been unearned.
9. Lynn Camp (4-4)
The Lady Wildcats are young but scrappy. They possess some good talent that will be a surprise this season as the season progresses.
Allison Messer has been dominating at the plate. She had a .690 batting average with 20 hits in 29 plate appearances. She’s got a 13th Region-best six home runs, and 18 RBI.
The key to Lynn Camp’s success will be how its pitching and defense improves. Currently the Lady Wildcats’ pitching staff has an ERA of 4.63. They’ve allowed only 28 earned runs, but 62 runs have scored this season.
10. Jackson County (4-3)
The Lady Generals seem to be settling in. Pitcher Candice Williams recorded her 500th career strikeouts. She has a 4-3 record this season along with 76 strikeouts in 42 innings. Her ERA 1.68.
Scarlett Peel, Blakelynn Fee, and Madison Parrett have been red-hot at the plate. Peel leads the team with a .389 batting average while Fee is batting .381, and Parrett has a .364 average.
