By JAMES BROWN
WCLU Sports
For five innings Thursday night, Barren County played to a 0-0 tie with the No. 1 team in Kentucky and one of the top teams in the nation — then 40-0 South Warren. The teams met for the second time in three years in the Fourth Region Softball Tournament title game.
Pitcher Shea Bogue got out of the third and fourth innings by striking out the final batter. Behind the junior in the circle, the Trojanettes cleaned up what balls were put in play.
South Warren went 3-up, 3-down in the top of the first inning. Then in the second, Layla Ogden led off with a single, but Bogue forced a back-to-back line outs.
After an error allowed runners to reach first and second, Bogue forced a line out to Hadley Elkins in center field.
In the top of the third, South Warren posted a pair of ground outs before a walk allowed a base runner. Bogue cleaned that up with a strike out.
In the top of the fourth, the Lady Spartans put a runner on base with a one-out error, but short stop Josey Moore fielded a ground ball and threw to Kaitlynn Ray at second to get the lead runner. Bogue struck out the next batter to get out of that inning.
South Warren put another runner on base in the top of the fifth with a two-out single, but a ground out to Ray at second ended that threat.
In the bottom of the fifth, Barren got its first runner on base when Hadley Elkins hit a two-out single. A ground out ended the Trojanettes’ chance to score a run.
South Warren finally scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning when Layla Ogden hit a two-run homer.
Bogue forced a fly out and a pair of ground outs to end the Lady Spartans’ at-bat.
In the bottom of the sixth, Elmore hit a two-out single, but Barren was unable to find a run.
South Warren added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh to secure the 4-0 win and advance to the KHSAA softball state tournament.
The Trojanettes played closer to the Lady Spartans than any other Kentucky team. South Warren’s previously closest game was a 6-1 win over Greenwood on April 30. The 14th District representative was ranked No. 2 in the nation in the most recent Sports Illustrated softball rankings, and No. 1 in the most recent Line Drive Media rankings.
Bogue pitched seven innings. She allowed six hits, struck out two and walked one. Elkins and Elmore had the Trojanettes’ only two hits in the game.
Barren County coach Daryl Murphy said after his team beat Cumberland County, 8-4, in nine innings to reach Thursday’s championship game, he believed his team had a special opportunity.
What’s next for Barren County softball
Murphy returned to coach the team after a year away when the previous coach resigned shortly before the start of the season. Murphy took over as head coach for this season on an interim basis.
“This is a short-term situation. We’re going to work hard to evaluate, after this season is over, where we need to go with this program,” Murphy said. “This program means a lot to me, man.”
He said his last game before he retired in 2024 was in the regional championship, and the team was back in the regional title game Thursday.
“That’s where we want Barren County to be,” Murphy said. “To do that, you have to have a passionate coach. These girls deserve that.”
There were seven seniors on the 2026 team — Adley Cunningham, Kyra Moore, Khloe Westmoreland, Lily Elmore, Josey Moore, Kaitlynn Ray and Norah Shirley. There were also eight freshmen on the roster.
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