Caldwell County has not won a district softball championship in 23 years.
The Lady Tigers will get another chance in the 2025 7th District final after dismissing Hopkins County Central 13-2 in five innings Monday night in Princeton.
Standing in Caldwell’s way, though, is Madisonville-North Hopkins. The Lady Maroons have won 11 straight district titles and own the No. 1 seed again this season.
Madisonville routed Dawson Springs 15-0 in three innings in Monday’s other semifinal.
Caldwell (15-14) and Madisonville (23-9-1) are scheduled to meet Tuesday at 7:00, weather permitting.
Big innings were the order of the day for the Lady Tigers against Hopkins Central.
After trailing 1-0 early, Caldwell scored four times in the bottom of the second inning to take the lead.
Hopkins Central (9-25-1) got within 4-2 in the third, but the Lady Tigers countered with five runs in the bottom of the frame to go up 9-2.
Four runs in the bottom of the fifth ended the game on the 10-run mercy rule.
Brylee Butts was 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI for Caldwell while Harper Holeman was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles while knocking in three.
Carlee Palm had a two-run double while Adley Lewis also doubled and drove in two. Grace Watson doubled and Daelen Kizzee singled.
Alexis Wood was the winning pitcher, allowing two earned runs on five base hits. She struck out five and did not issue a walk.
Cadence Allen was 2-for-3 at the plate for Hopkins Central with a double.
Layla Sorrells, Emily Ballard and Ava McCord each singled.
Ballard suffered the loss in the pitching circle, but only two of the nine runs she allowed were earned.
Caldwell has won 22 of its last 23 meetings with the Lady Storm.
The Lady Tigers lead the all-time series 34-27.
Caldwell and Madisonville will be meeting in the district championship for the eighth-straight time.
However, the Lady Tigers’ last district title came in 2002 — when Caldwell was still a member of the 5th District.
Despite the district championship drought, Caldwell has still been 2nd Region runner-up twice in the past seven years — in 2018 and 2023.
Madisonville owns a pair of one-run decisions against Caldwell this season — 6-5 in eight innings and 2-1.
Meanwhile, Hopkins Central last played in the district title tilt in 2016. The Lady Storm last won the district championship in 2012.
