HIGH SCHOOL-KENTUCKY

Kentucky state softball tournament at a glance

Richard Skinner
rskinner@nky.com
Highlands' Kara Fornash fields a fly ball on April 21.

What: Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Softball Tournament.

When/Where: June 5-7 at Jack C. Fisher Park, Owensboro.

When: June 5-7.

Admission: $5 for Thursday's games; $10 per person for "All Day Armbands" on Friday and Saturday; children under 10 are free (note: lawn chairs are allowed).

Parking: Free.

Schedule (double-elimination format; all times CT):

Thursday's First-Round Games: Game 1 – Greenwood (33-5) vs. Male (28-10), 5 p.m. Game 2 – Madisonville-North Hopkins (30-4) vs. Mercy (26-7), 5 p.m. Game 3 – Ashland Blazer (31-5) vs. McCracken County (35-5). Game 4 – Anderson County (27-8) vs. Johnson Central (25-8), 5 p.m. Game 5 – Green County (27-10) vs. Apollo (20-10), 7 p.m. Game 6- Estill County (26-13) vs. Highlands (26-11), 7 p.m. Game 7 – Scott County (28-8) vs. East Jessamine (30-9), 7 p.m. Game 8 – South Laurel (31-8) vs. Clark County (29-12), 7 p.m.

Friday's Winners' Bracket Games – Game 9 – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 9 a.m. Game 10 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9 a.m. Game 11 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winners, 9 a.m. Game 12 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9 a.m. Game 21 – Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 3 p.m. Game 22 – Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 3 p.m.

Friday's Losers' Bracket Games – Game 13 – Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 11 a.m. Game 14 – Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser 11 a.m. Game 15 – Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser 11 a.m. Game 16 – Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 11 a.m. Game 17 – Game 12 loser vs. Game 13 winner, 1 p.m. Game 18 – Game 11 loser vs. Game 14 winner, 1 p.m. Game 19 – Game 10 loser vs. Game 15 winner, 1 p.m. Game 20 – Game 9 loser vs. Game 16 winner, 1 p.m. Game 23 – Game 17 winner vs. Game 18 winner, 5 p.m. Game 24 – Game 19 winner vs. Game 20 winner, 5 p.m. Game 25 – Game 21 loser vs. Game 23 winner, 7 p.m. Game 26 – Game 22 loser vs. Game 24 winner, 7 p.m.

Saturday's Winners' Bracket Game – Game 27 – Game 21 winner vs. Game 22 winner, 9 a.m.

Saturday's Losers' Bracket Games – Game 28 – Game 25 winner vs. Game 26 winner, 9 a.m. Game 29 – Game 27 loser vs. Game 28 winner, 11 a.m.

Saturday's Championship – Game 30 – Game 28 winner vs. Game 29 winner, 1 p.m. (a second and deciding game will be played if immediately after if this is the first loss for the loser of this game).

What to Expect: McCracken County finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the Kentucky Softball Coaches Association state poll and has three outstanding pitchers who combined to compile a 1.13 ERA and record 255 strikeouts in 210 innings. Audrey Dodd was 12-0 with a 0.43 ERA.

Greenwood won the state title last season when it finished 44-0 and finished this season ranked No. 2 in the state coaches poll. It would face McCracken County in a winners' bracket quarterfinal game.

Other teams to watch are Madisonville-North Hopkins, which finished No. 3 in the state poll, Scott County, which finished No. 6 in the state poll and Mercy, which finished No. 8. Madisonville-North Hopkins and Mercy face each other in the first round.

Highlands could certainly win its first-round game and then would face Scott County in a second-round winners' bracket game.