UIL softball Class 3A state championship: Coahoma defeats Grandview in extra innings
Grandview softball entered the Class 3A state championship with an opportunity to dethrone Coahoma, the 2023 state champion.
The Zebras came up just short of their first softball state title, falling 3-2 to Coahoma in extra innings at Red & Charline McCombs Field on Thursday. Coahoma second baseman Brynn Rodgers secured the go ahead RBI with a double down the left field line.
Grandview had four errors in the game, and they were costly. Two of them came in the second inning, resulting in two unearned runs.
“Unfortunately, we made a few errors,” Grandview head coach Leigh Ebner said. “We had some really hard hits that went straight to ‘em. We couldn’t quite find a hole at times and it just didn’t fall our way today. I’m proud of my girls.”
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Despite the defensive mistakes, Grandview (32-4) played the defending champions in a tightly contested game. The Zebras made the state semifinal in 2023 and followed it up with a Class 3A state championship appearance to cap off the most successful softball season in the school’s history.
“It’s been great,” Ebner said. “Grandview has had good softball teams for a long time. That last couple of years we’ve been really strong. I feel like we’ll have a good chance the next couple of years. So, we’re going to keep fighting. We’re going to keep working. And we’re going to make our way back here next year.”
Grandview’s future is looking bright, and sophomore pitcher Madi Doty is the main reason. She allowed one earned run in two games at the state tournament. In eight innings in the title game, she allowed six hits and struck out five batters.
“She is a true competitor,” Ebner said. “And she is going to continue to do great things. She does it on the mound and she does it at the plate. She’s a true, all around, great softball player and I am blessed to have her in this program.”
Doty has the potential to bring Grandview softball to newfound heights, and Ebner expects the ace pitcher to improve as an upperclassman.
“She’s not going to settle just because she’s doing a pretty good job now,” Ebner said. “She is going to work to get better every single year that she plays the sport, and it’s gonna be fun to watch her continue to grow as a player.”
Doty, in the first inning, gave Grandview a 2-0 lead with a towering home run to left field that nearly hit a building on 21st street. The no doubt home run scored center fielder Sydney Mann, who reached safely with an infield single.
“That’s what Madi (Doty) does,” Ebner said. “She is good in big moments. And she started us off great with that home run. I’m just proud of her. She does big things.”
Coahoma responded in the second inning, taking advantage of consecutive Grandview errors. First baseman Bree Lewis tallied a two RBI, game tying single but Doty limited the damage with two strikeouts and a ground out after facing a bases loaded situation with no outs.
Grandview’s defense bounced back in the third inning; Second baseman Claire Baker hauled in a line drive and doubled up a Coahoma baserunner for a double play. Shortstop Jaley James then made a leaping catch to end the inning.
Coahoma’s Hannah Wells, a Texas commit, settled in after the shaky first inning. She kept Grandview off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. In total, she allowed six hits and struck out three batters.
“We knew we were going to have to come in and really work at the plate,” Ebner said. “(Wells) did a great job and she threw all those innings yesterday and then came out here and did it again. So she is a true competitor.”
Doty matched her energy and kept the game tied until the eighth inning. Coahoma, a program making its 13th state tournament appearance, was resilient and eventually gained an edge with Grandview’s offense failing to produce runs.
Rodgers’ go-ahead base hit earned her the Class 3A state championship Most Valuable Player award.
Ebner emphasized that she is extremely proud of the team despite the loss. The Zebras were the second team to come within one run of defeating Coahoma (32-0) in a perfect season. The other was Whitesboro in the state semifinal.
“They fought the entire eight innings,” Ebner said. “They laid it all out there.”
This story was originally published May 30, 2024 at 4:50 PM.
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