A season-long rampage in the batter’s box, a transformative winning streak, and good old-fashioned high school team chemistry have ignited the red-hot Simon Kenton softball team. The 18-4 Pioneers have been so dominant over the last four weeks that they are thinking big. Really big.
“There’s no reason why we can’t accomplish our goals and win the region,” coach Chris Young said. “The culture here this season is second to none. All the girls are improved. They hate losing. They just want to win.”
Had the Pioneers beaten Ohio powerhouse Lakota East on April 1, they would have gone unbeaten for the month. Instead, they took the loss, falling to 4-4 and teetering on another breakeven season after two straight .500 finishes. Now, 2025 is looking more like a breakout.
Tearing through April at 12-1, Simon Kenton has surged with a 14-game winning streak that still stands. Next up: mighty Notre Dame Academy, a road test on Monday at 5:30 p.m.
“We just want to keep winning and playing well and improving,” Young said.
If the youthful Pioneers continue this pace, they won’t just be a dark horse in the race for 8th Region supremacy — they’ll have a shot at securing their first-ever 8th Region crown and punching their ticket to the state tournament.
The last time Simon Kenton held a regional championship trophy was in 2000, when the Pioneers ruled the 9th Region and advanced all the way to the state semifinals. Since shifting to the 8th Region in 2006, they’ve won eight 32nd District titles but managed only four region tournament wins, never pushing past the semifinals
That history hasn’t dampened the Pioneers’ ambition. They’ve been hungry for another deep postseason run, eager to bring home the elusive crown.
One major obstacle over the past four seasons? Grant County. The Braves have dominated the 32nd District, winning four straight titles and beating the Pioneers each time in the final. The No. 1 seed has given Grant County favorable matchups in the regional, while Simon Kenton, stuck with a No. 2 seed, has had to face district champs like defending region winner Anderson County, Oldham County and Henry County in early rounds.
Once again, the 8th Region is packed with contenders: 21-4 Anderson County, 20-4 Oldham County, 16-6 Henry County, and returning two-time region finalist Woodford County all remain major threats. Anderson and Oldham handled Simon Kenton in earlier meetings, but the Pioneers shut out Grant County for a 3-0 district start and beat Henry County by 10. Those commanding victories, and their long winning streak, have turned optimism into something more tangible.
“Our team is younger this year, but I feel like we’re hitting better and playing better because we’ve had girls really step up as leaders,” said senior Larkin Mitchell, a slap-hitting leadoff batter. “Our younger girls have done a great job with it.”
Opponents are starting to take notice.
With Simon Kenton boasting the second-best team batting average in Kentucky, rival pitchers must feel like they’re tossing to a lineup swinging radar-guided bats. In fact, the Pioneers are turning pitches into souvenirs and making stat sheets look like works of fiction.
They’re hitting a staggering .465 and averaging 10.8 runs per game, also second statewide. They’ve belted 11 home runs and 51 doubles, turning 12 of their 22 games into double-digit scoring showcases. During their 14-game streak, they have enjoyed nine games with at least 10 runs, including seven straight.
These are crazy numbers — but there’s more.
The batting lineup runs deep: one .600 hitter, three .500 hitters, two .400 hitters, and two .300 hitters. No regular dips below .270.
Anna McCloskey, one of four freshmen, leads the hit parade with a .750 batting average. Although the sample size is small, the Pioneers say her 6-for-8 start augers well for the future. The present and future also look bright for fellow freshmen Myka Brown (.607) and Cara Swope (.370) and sophomores Alli Fowler (.582), Taylor Jones (.576) and sister Jayden Jones (.491).
Brown, Fowler and Taylor Jones all rank among the state’s top 30 in batting average. Coach Young notes Brown and Fowler have made massive jumps. Brown is sitting 13th statewide after hitting just .259 last season, and Fowler climbing to 24th after a .240 finish last year.
The Pioneers are young, but their upperclassmen have provided steady and inspired leadership. Mitchell (.534) and senior newcomer Laney Schuster (.409), first cousins reunited on the same team after Schuster’s transfer from Ryle, have stepped up alongside senior Courtney Beach (.270) and lone junior Adreena Barton (.370).
“Coming to a new school my senior year was a little nerve-wracking. But I felt like I fit in right away because of the girls,” said Schuster, a catcher who inked with Southern Indiana on National Signing Day last November. “It being my senior year though, I feel like I’m playing freer, and my hitting this year is definitely more consistent.”
Schuster, Jones and Brown are the heavy hitters. Jones leads the team with four home runs, followed by Brown with three and Schuster with two.
“The team culture here is great and I feel like it’s authentic because everybody is true to each other,” Schuster said. “We all get along. I feel like they’re 14 of my best friends.”
Schuster fit in so well, she was made a tri-captain alongside Mitchell and Beach, whom Young calls a defensive wizard at third base capable of shutting down the opposition’s bunting game.
The cleanup-hitting Brown has a team-best 12 doubles and Schuster has 11, both ranking among state leaders. Jones (38) and Brown (35) are the RBI leaders. The Pioneers are so loaded that Schuster bats fifth.
“We all bring energy into every game,” said Taylor Jones, a shortstop who bats third in the lineup. “This year versus last year, I’ve noticed we bring better team chemistry, too, and it makes playing so much more fun.”
The Pioneers also bring a different approach to hitting.
“One thing we worked on in the offseason was going middle to opposite field on outside pitches instead of trying to pull everything,” coach Young said. “A lot of girls who were used to pulling it are doing better with outside pitches and it’s showing up in the batting average.”
Simon Kenton hit a very respectable .357 last season. But that pales next to this season’s .465 with six left-handed hitters: Mitchell, Fowler, Brown, Swope and the Jones sisters.
“Not only can they hit, but they’re also fast, so we play a lot of small ball,” Young said. “Last year, it was hit, hit, hit. This year, it’s more hit, bunt, run, and we’re still getting the big hits.”
Meanwhile, the pitching staff has quietly turned a weakness into a strength. The Pioneers have cut their team ERA from last year’s 5.61 to 3.97, allowing two runs or fewer in nine of their 14 straight wins.
Brown leads with a 2.86 ERA, appearing in six starts and eight relief outings. She has four saves, ranking tied for third statewide. Sophomore Lauren McIntosh (9-2, 4.25 ERA) has been the primary starter. The duo has combined for just 26 walks in 100 innings, backed by a solid defense that has allowed only nine unearned runs.
“They’re not the most overpowering pitchers but they hit their spots,” coach Young said. “They do a nice job keeping us in the game.”
Likewise, the Pioneers are keeping themselves in the race for something bigger than just a strong regular season. They aren’t just chasing wins — they’re chasing history in the 8th Region.
“It’s been really exciting to see,” Mitchell said. “We’ve worked so hard, and we need to keep it up.”