When Daviess County softball steps onto the John Cropp Stadium field later this afternoon for their first-round State Tournament game against top-seeded South Warren, it will be a showcase of the number one defense against the best offense in the state.
“South Warren are really good. I think you have two teams going against each other that are very similar,” Daviess County head coach John Biggs said. “They have two really good pitchers that complement each other and have different strengths. ….They are similar to us in that we have three arms that we can throw out there that we think can get that job done. I think their roster and lineup are built similarly to ours.”
The Lady Panthers enter today not having allowed a run since May 9, and during their dominant 3rd Region Tournament run, they outscored their opponents 27-0. On the season, they have allowed a measly 35 runs and have shut out their opponents 18 times.
Their defense will be tested by South Warren’s juggernaut of an offense that leads the state with 70 homers, 354 RBIs, and 426 runs scored. The two teams met early on in the season, with the Lady Spartans prevailing 8-4. Since then, Daviess County has only improved with the return of starting pitcher Kamryn Timmons from injury.
“I feel we are very prepared this time,” Daviess County’s Sophia Cain said. “The first time around, we just kind of just winged it and didn’t really have a plan. But this time we know what we are doing. If we stick to the plan, I think we will come out on top.”
Cain and Timmons are joined by Story Hume in what has become an elite rotation. On the season, the Lady Panthers rotation has an ERA of 1.08, with 248 strikeouts, while only allowing 26 earned runs and walking 30. Despite their dominance, they will have their hands full with the Lady Spartans Layla Ogden and McLaine Hudson. Ogden leads the state in homers (24) and RBIs (75), while Hudson is hitting .617 with 20 homers and is a perfect 28-28 in stolen bases.
“We will need to put the ball somewhere where they can’t barrel it up as well,” Timmons said. “Where they can’t get a barrel on it or somewhere where we can just take it away.”
South Warren isn’t the only team with an elite offense, as the Lady Panthers enter this game hitting .399, with 32 homers, 317 RBIs, and 286 runs scored. Leading the charge are shortstop Annie Newman and outfielder Molly Hancock, both of whom are travel ball teammates with the Lady Spartans top pitching duo of Ogden and Courtney Norwood.
“I think that we are both really aware of what their strengths and weaknesses are, and they know us very well too,” Newman said. “So, we have to know what they’re going to try and throw against us since we literally play all summer together. They know our weaknesses, so we just have to be aware of that.”
In their earlier matchup, Newman finished 3-4, and Hancock drove in a pair of runs. Ogden threw a complete game for South Warren, allowing three earned runs over seven innings and also homered. The Lady Panthers have yet to see Norwood this year, who brings a 0.83 ERA into the State Tournament.
Both teams are a threat on the basepaths, with the Lady Panthers swiping 60 bags in 65 attempts compared to South Warren, which is 89 for 95. Kylie Clark and Sadie Morris have combined for 40 of the Lady Panthers 60 steals, with the latter only being thrown out twice.
Despite drawing the top team in the state in the opening round, the Lady Panthers enter the day relaxed and have no intention of going home early.
“Just knowing we have to beat whoever is in front of us, we are just taking it one game at a time, knowing we have to beat South Warren, and then we can move on,” Hancock said. “We are just trying to stick together and go into the game with positive mindsets and energy.”
