Scott County started Thursday’s home softball game against Simon Kenton with a completely different look than the norm of the first three weeks.
It wasn’t easy to discern the reasoning from coach Mike Wagoner’s wry smile and poker face, either. Perhaps it was a selective serving of humble pie for the Cardinals after an extra-inning road win in the 42nd District only 48 hours earlier.
Whatever the case, it wasn’t a matter of looking past the Pioneers, who gave the Cards all they could handle for a few innings before SC polished off a 10-4 triumph.
“They’ve got a good squad. We knew they were better than what their record was showing,” Wagoner said. “I talked to the girls before the game. ‘You can’t look at their record. Look past this team here, and you’ll be sorry for it.’”
And maybe, just maybe, he detected that his team wasn’t getting the message.
The upper third of Scott County’s customary batting order started the game in the dugout, while several other players appeared out of their typical position in the field.
“We tried some different things at the beginning,” Wagoner said with a shrug. “Just wanted to get some girls some experience and see what we could do before we went down to Pigeon Forge.”
Making only her second appearance in the varsity circle, and first since 2023, junior Gracie ‘Boss’ Strong allowed two hits and two runs in four innings.
Strong offset eight walks with four strikeouts.
“Boss did a great job on the mound. She wasn’t getting a lot of calls she wanted. That got her frustrated, and they got some hits after that,” Wagoner said. “She hadn’t pitched at all yet. That was the first time out, so I was proud of her. She did a great job.”
Coming off an eight-inning shutout with 11 strikeouts and no walks at Bryan Station, Makenzie Leidecker started at shortstop before slamming the door with five strikeouts over the final three frames.
Leidecker also went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot after batting third, fourth or fifth through the Cards’ first five games.
“Mak did a great job coming in and finishing,” Wagoner said. “She’s done it starting out, coming in, leading off. She didn’t blink an eye leading off.”
Bryan Station was Leidecker’s only venture past three innings for Scott County.
The Cardinals also used Skylar Mathies, Addison Langley and Brylee Roberts to twirl a total of 14 innings in March.
“We haven’t gotten Liv (Roland) in the varsity (rotation) yet, either, so we have options,” Wagoner said.
Leidecker led a flock of six Cardinals with two hits apiece.
Strong (2-for-3, three RBI, walk) and Mathies (2-for-2, two RBI, walk) headlined the heart of the order. Mathies, a freshman, now leads the team with a sweltering .625 average.
Addison Walters, who entered the game hitless in two varsity at-bats, also was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
“They did very well,” Wagoner said. “Addy Walters had a heck of a night at the plate.”
Kennedy Townsend and Aubrey Wigginton each went 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
Wigginton raised her average to .550. She additionally completed a double play at third base after Leidecker handled a line drive at shortstop.
Seven of the Cardinals’ 14 hits were doubles: Two by Strong, and one each from Townsend, Leidecker, Walters, Mathies and Hadley Swint (two RBI).
“It was good game for us, hard-fought,” Wagoner said. “The wind was a little rough on some of those.”
Scott County jumped out to leads of 2-0 in the first inning and 6-0 after three. The Cards put a number in every box except the second.
Jayden Jones and Taylor Jones each had two hits and knocked in a run for Simon Kenton (2-5). Pioneer pitchers Scarlett Cochran and Lauren McIntosh combined for five strikeouts.
SC is off until Thursday of spring break week before heading south for some unfamiliar competition.
“Six games in three days against teams from Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois,” Wagoner said. “It will be fun. It will be a good test for us.”