The Lady Panthers took one step closer to their first state championship when they took on Lewis County, using a five-run third inning sparked by Jessie Daniels en route to a 6-2 win.
Daviess County got on the board first with a small two-out rally as Millie Roberts got things going with a leadoff walk and then the courtesy runner took second.
Daniels followed that up with a liner off the first baseman’s glove into right, earning an RBI double, sending them into the second with a 1-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Lewis County couldn’t touch Raylee Roby, as she continually got ahead in the count and blew pitches by their lineup.
Daviess County’s lineup gave her some insurance runs in the top of the third thanks to some fireworks at the plate.
Sophie Simone earned the leadoff walk and the very next pitch Abby Newman singled. A great bunt from Hattie Newman and next thing you know the bases are loaded with no outs.
Roberts rolled over and steamed one to third, but the throw home for the force out wasn’t caught and two runs came into score.
Daniels came through again with runners in scoring position, sending a moonshot to left for a three-run homer and a 6-0 Lady Panthers lead going into the fourth.
Head Coach John Biggs Sr. knows Daniels like to go after the long ball and in this game that was a crucial moment to their success.
“It’s funny, Jessie sometimes will go up there and she’s swinging out of her shoes,” Biggs Sr. said. “After she had the one I said ‘alright that’s yours. Now you need to get me one’… She sat on it and I kept telling her ‘just barrel it up, hit it to where it is pitched. You’ve got the power to hit the ball hard.’ She sat on one and I’m telling you that was a game changer at that point.”
Lewis County put up a fight late, earning two runs in the bottom of the sixth thanks to some extra base hits and misplayed balls in the outfield to cut it to 6-2.
The Lady Lions tried causing some chaos in the seventh, but the 6-2 lead was more than enough for Roby to close the door, starting a 1-6-3 double play herself to end it and claim Daviess County a spot in the state championship.
Roby finished the day with six strikeouts, allowing two runs on five hits in her complete-game performance.
Roby has dominated in the postseason, only allowing one earned run and earning a 3-0 record. Head Coach John Biggs Sr. said that she’s put in a lot of work to make major jumps in her first two years in the program and they’ve paid off.
“[The key is] really just being confident in myself and pitching the ball,” Roby said. “My defense I can always trust in, so as long as we score runs we’ll be fine.”
Newman, Roberts, Seana Leibfried and Greysee Whitaker all registered hits, but it was Daniels who led the way with a 2-4 day at the plate and four RBIs.
Daniels said that their success is in large part because of their chemistry off the field, which in turn has translated onto the field.
“I think the biggest part is how we’ve gotten close as people, not just players,” Daniels said. “Just being together as a team and the energy [we have] in the dugout is what got us here.”
Biggs Sr. and company have emphasized taking things game-by-game, so they are taking a short time to recognize the accomplishments they’ve made this season before tackling their ultimate goal tomorrow.
“We’ve talked all year and it’s been one step at a time,” Biggs Sr. said. “The only thing that we were focused on today was Lewis County. That was completely it. So we’re going to sit back and watch two really good teams battle this game out and then we’re going to kind of regroup.”
Biggs Sr. has been beyond thrilled with the outpouring of support for the Lady Panthers from the community and is excited for he and his players to have the chance to bring a title home for the program.
“The community support that we’ve gotten to be able to have a charter bus and have it here for three days and have our meals paid for and the things that they have come out and supported us [with is amazing],” Biggs Sr. said. “And we’re not just talking about completely all Daviess County people, it’s the community… It’s been awesome.”
Daviess County will take on Butler in the final showdown, looking to become state champions at 2 p.m. at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.
