LONDON — The upper half of the bracket is loaded with championship contenders as regional favorite South Laurel and defending 13th Region champion North Laurel could be on a collision course for a semifinal showdown during next week’s 13th Region Fastpitch Tournament at Jackson County High School. The two powerhouse programs split a pair of regular season meetings and have combined to post a 60-11 record entering postseason play.
The lower half of the bracket features a balanced mix of momentum and experience. Middlesboro enters the tournament riding a seven-game winning streak while Corbin has quietly become one of the region’s hottest teams after winning nine of its last 11 games following a healthy return to its lineup. Pineville counters with one of the state’s elite pitchers in senior Rachel Howard, who recently moved into second place on Kentucky’s all-time career strikeout list.
First Round Matchups
• North Laurel and Harlan County did not meet during the regular season, setting up one of the more intriguing opening-round matchups in the tournament.
Harlan County will rely heavily on pitcher Alexis Adams, who enters postseason play with an 11-11 record and a 2.54 ERA. Freshman Jordyn Smith has paced the Lady Black Bears offensively with a .386 batting average, four home runs, 17 RBI and 39 hits.
Slowing down North Laurel’s offense, however, will be a major challenge.
The Lady Jaguars are averaging eight runs per game and are batting .379 as a team with 18 home runs. Sophomore Emma Carl leads the lineup with a .491 batting average along with 55 hits, 10 home runs and 43 RBI. Presley Griffin has added nine home runs while Katie Sams has four. Lucy Jo Linville is batting .430 with 43 hits and 27 RBI.
In the pitcher’s circle, junior Tessa Monhollen has dominated throughout the season, compiling a 14-4 record with a 1.81 ERA.
• South Laurel and Knox Central also did not face one another during the regular season.
The Lady Cardinals enter regional play as one of the state’s top teams and are ranked fifth statewide for good reason. South Laurel is batting .369 as a team while averaging a region-best 9.5 runs per game and surrendering only 1.5 runs per contest.
Junior standout Kenzie Williams has been sensational both at the plate and in the circle. Williams is batting .480 with 12 home runs, 53 RBI and 59 hits while posting a 21-1 record with a microscopic 0.31 ERA and 279 strikeouts in 136 innings pitched.
South Laurel’s power throughout the lineup has been overwhelming.
The Lady Cardinals have blasted 58 home runs this season, led by Williams, freshman Ryleigh Bretz with 11 home runs, and Lexi Messer with 10.
Aubrie Messer has also played a major role in South Laurel’s success. She owns a 10-2 record with a 2.10 ERA and 70 strikeouts while batting .350 with five home runs, 30 RBI and 41 hits.
Knox Central pitcher Blakely Castle will be tasked with slowing down the explosive South Laurel lineup. Castle enters the postseason with a 9-15 record and a 5.29 ERA while also leading the Lady Panthers offensively with a .423 batting average, 30 hits and 24 RBI. Sydney Grubb is batting .400 with 28 hits and 13 RBI.
• Pineville and Corbin met twice during the regular season with Corbin winning both meetings, 13-1 on May 8 and 3-2 on May 12. Pineville committed a combined 15 errors in the two games, leading to all 16 Corbin runs being unearned.
The Lady Redhounds enter postseason play playing their best softball of the season. After opening the year 3-12, Corbin has gone 11-7 since and has won nine of its last 11 games.
Corbin’s pitching staff has shown major improvement throughout the second half of the season. Freshman Macie Santos is 4-8 with a 2.47 ERA and 84 strikeouts in only 68 innings pitched. Sophomore Apple Terrell owns a 5-8 record with 45 strikeouts while eighth grader Sawyer Stamper is 5-2 with a 4.06 ERA and 41 strikeouts.
Lydia King leads Corbin offensively with a .373 batting average and 38 hits while Kaili Sanders has driven in a team-high 27 RBI. Terrell leads the Lady Redhounds with five home runs.
Pineville counters with one of the state’s all-time great pitchers in Rachel Howard. Howard owns a 0.61 ERA with 301 strikeouts in 137.1 innings pitched.
Howard has also produced offensively, batting .456 with 31 hits. Catcher Rayanna Maidon leads the Lady Mountain Lions with a .465 batting average and 33 hits while junior Kameran Evans owns a team-best 20 RBI.
• Middlesboro may be the hottest team in the bracket outside of South Laurel.
The Lady Yellow Jackets enter the regional tournament riding a seven-game winning streak.
Clay County defeated Middlesboro 13-6 on March 30, but Middlesboro has looked like a completely different team in recent weeks. The Lady Yellow Jackets have scored at least 13 runs in three of their last six games.
Kenna Lawson leads Middlesboro offensively with a .487 batting average along with 38 hits and 28 RBI. Lily Partin is batting .343 with 23 hits and 14 RBI while also serving as the team’s top pitcher. Partin owns an 8-2 record with a 2.82 ERA and 32 strikeouts.
Clay County is led by Alivia Hoskins both at the plate and in the circle. Hoskins is batting .400 with four home runs, 20 RBI and 32 hits while compiling an 8-6 pitching record with a 4.26 ERA and 87 strikeouts.
Anna Samples has added four home runs for the Lady Tigers while Ella Samples has hit three.
13th Region Fastpitch Tournament
at Jackson County High School
Monday, May 25 — First Round
11:30 a.m. — North Laurel High School vs. Harlan County High School
1 p.m. — South Laurel High School vs. Knox Central High School
5:30 p.m. — Pineville High School vs. Corbin High School
7 p.m. — Middlesboro High School vs. Clay County High School
Tuesday, May 26 — Semifinals
5 p.m. — North Laurel/Harlan County winner vs. South Laurel/Knox Central winner
7 p.m. — Pineville/Corbin winner vs. Middlesboro/Clay County winner
Thursday, May 28 — Championship
6:30 p.m. — Championship Game
L4 Security 13th Region Media Network Pre-Tournament Rankings
- South Laurel 33-5 overall, 14-1 vs. 13th Region opponents
- North Laurel 27-6, 8-1
- Corbin 14-19, 12-6
- Pineville 11-12, 10-8
- Middlesboro 14-11, 13-8
- Harlan County 17-14, 10-9
- Clay County 14-15, 13-8
- Knox Central 9-17, 6-8
L4 Security 13th Region Media Network Pre-Tournament Player Rankings
- Kenzie Williams, South Laurel
- Emma Carl, North Laurel
- Tessa Monhollen, North Laurel
- Rachel Howard, Clay County
- Ryleigh Bretz, South Laurel
- Lexi Messer, South Laurel
- Rayanna Maidon, Pineville
- Katie Sams, North Laurel
- Aubrie Messer, South Laurel
- Lucy Jo Linville, North Laurel
