Daviess County is looking to grab its first state championship in program history, with a sisterly duo in Abby and Hattie Newman leading the charge offensively and defensively on the left side.
The two have been a key cog in the Lady Panthers lineup at the top of the order all season long and defensively at short and third.
Abby has manned the shortstop position serving as an exceptional leadoff hitter, hitting .518 to go with two home runs and 26 RBIs. If Billy Beane was putting together a softball team, he would pick Abby because she just always seems to find a way to get on base.
Hattie has followed up on her sister’s success in the two-spot in the lineup, hitting .314 with six home runs and 22 RBIs. However, this success as a dynamic duo on both sides of the field didn’t come easy.
It all started with a delay, as the pandemic halted the 2020 season. However, the two took it as an opportunity to grind and improve for the next season.
“With COVID last year that would’ve been our first season, so in the offseason we trained together and we hit together just preparing for this,” Abby said. “We really go good together hitting one and two and on the left side as well.”
But once again, forging their offensive success at the top of the lineup came with another challenge. Early on in the season, Hattie was temporarily removed from the starting lineup and had to fight her way back to being the one in charge at the hot corner.
“She didn’t like it, just because she wanted to be out there on the field,” Biggs Sr. said. “But I tell you what, she came back and worked her butt off.”
Once she earned her way back as a mainstay for the Lady Panthers, the sisters helped catapult the team to even greater heights.
For their mother Heather, just seeing all the extra time spent pushing each other outside of practice and games has been fun, but it’s seeing that translate to their personal relationship that means the world to the Newman family.
“It’s fun because they’re competitive, but I think it’s really gotten them closer as well,” Heather said. “I know with Abby playing travel ball, Hattie has really looked up to her and I see them talking a lot on the field, but I think that’s carried over into our house and I think the older that they get the closer they get.”
With their relationship growing and the team as a whole forming a strong chemistry, the Lady Panthers own a 34-6 record and have surged past a number of tough opponents to the state championship.
Coming off a 6-2 win over Lewis County, Daviess County will see a 33-4 Butler team that has won nine straight.
The Bearettes are coming off a dominant 10-2 over Green County. They’ve had no shortage of offense all season long, with only two players on the roster hitting below .300.
Emily Williams and Kyndal Tinell lead the way in that department, hitting .538 with 18 home runs and .500 with 10 home runs respectively.
In the circle, Butler has Maria Peguero and Sadie Werner handling the bulk of the responsibilities. Peguero totes a 1.61 ERA in 27 games, while striking out 139 en route to a 13-1 record. Meanwhile, Werner has a 1.63 ERA in 22 games, punching out 105 hitters and owning a 14-3 record.
The Lady Panthers will call on the familiar faces at the top of the lineup including the Newman sisters as well as Millie Roberts and Jessie Daniels to contribute a lot of run production, while looking for contributions all throughout the lineup like they have as of late.
Surrounded by a strong supporting cast, Biggs Sr. is happy to see all of the Newman sisters’ hard work continue to pay off for them and the program.
“Both of them put so much extra time in through hitting lessons, extra workouts, those types of things,” Biggs Sr. said. “Any time I talk to them or they text, they’re always trying to do something that’s going to make them better… They feed off each other.”
On the other hand, Raylee Roby and Greysee Whitaker will be tasked with trying to shut down a dominant offense from Butler while needing a solid performance defensively.
It’s likely that Roby will get the starting nod, as the sophomore has been locked in all postseason. She’s given up 12 hits, walked three, given up one earned run and struck out 17 en route to a 3-0 record with teams hitting. 190 against her.
While this game will be a barn-burner, Hattie feels that the team is more than capable of bringing home some hardware when they face off against the Bearettes at 2 p.m. at John Cropp Stadium.
“I think this year is our best shot this year because of all the talent that we have this year, how hard everyone on the team works and how hard we push each other,” Hattie said.
With unfinished business on Abby’s mind after past postseason runs were cut short, this memory-filled season with a chance at the first state championships in program history is something that the Newman family will always cherish.
“I think it’s one of those memorable times in their lives and in our lives that we will never forget,” Heather said. “You know with Daviess County making a run back in 2016 finishing fourth in the state, because Abby was on that team she’s had it in the back of her mind, so now to know we’ve made it to the championship I think it’s something as parents and both watching the girls it’s something none of us are ever going to forget.”
