TEMPLE — The Franklin softball team battled back after a nightmarish start Saturday, but Grandview proved it deserves the top ranking in Class 3A as the Lady Zebras defeated the No. 3 Lady Lions 10-8 at Lake Belton High School to advance to the state tournament.
For Franklin head coach Jordan Lyle, the loss didn’t sour an otherwise brilliant season for his Lady Lions, who finished the year 38-8.
“It’s hard to put what this group means to me, what these girls mean to me,” Lyle said. “I’ve known half this group since they were 8 ... and just watching them grow up and being as fortunate as I am to be in this position, to be their coach, how proud I am to be their coach.”
Both of Grandview’s wins in the best-of-3 Region III final came at Lake Belton as the Lady Zebras also won the series opener 6-1 on Wednesday. Franklin’s lone win came in Game 2 at Baylor’s Getterman Stadium in Waco, a 5-3 victory Thursday.
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The trouble in Saturday’s deciding Game 3 for Franklin came in the bottom of the second as the Lady Zebras plated five runs to take a 5-0 lead. Grandview’s Madi Doty led off with a single, and Olivia Bauerschlag and Kylie Grafa followed with doubles. Grafa’s double scored both Doty and Bauerschlag.
After a groundout, Grafa scored thanks to a fielding error on a ball hit by Caydin Blackmon. Sydney Mann then drew a walk, and a wild pitch to Kierstyn Moore brought home Grafa. Moore then grounded out for the second out of the inning but drove in another run for the 5-0 advantage.
In a deep hole, the Lady Lions began climbing out of it in a hurry with four runs in the top of the third.
Kadie Autrey led off the third with an 11-pitch walk to set the tone for Franklin’s big answer. KyLeigh Cambiano then doubled to put runners in scoring position, and with one out, Reese Cottrell doubled to score Autrey. The next three batters all had RBIs as Karaline Smitherman doubled, Traci Lowry grounded out and Emma Rekieta doubled to get the Lady Lions within 5-4.
One run was the closest the Lady Lions would get as every time they scored, Grandview (38-3) did the same.
“They’re the most resilient group I’ve ever been a part of,” Lyle said. “They fight. Everything was stacked against them tonight. They get down 5-0 on top of that. There’s just no quit. You saw it in their eyes — they wanted it. They wanted it to the last out. At the end of the day, you’ve got to tip your hat to [Grandview]. They made the plays and ... we didn’t.”
The Lady Zebras plated three more runs in the bottom of the third to grow their lead to 8-4. Franklin got one run back in the fourth thanks to an RBI double by Hailey Fannin that scored Cambiano.
In the top of the sixth, Franklin chopped Grandview’s lead down to one again on a two-run hit by Cottrell. The Franklin pitcher slugged a ball into the outfield that brought home Autrey and Cambiano, who had walked to start the inning.
Grandview wasn’t rattled though as the Lady Zebras added two runs in the bottom of the sixth to give them a 10-7 cushion. Back-to-back leadoff walks followed by an RBI single from Bauerschlag plated one run, and two batters later a fielding error brought in another.
Down three going into the seventh, the Lady Lions attempted to rally one last time and scored one more run with two outs. Autrey knocked a ball down the left-field line, and Rekieta came charging home. But Grandview ended the game by throwing out Autrey at third base as she tried to extend the hit into a triple.
“We know who we’ve got to go through to get back to where we want to be,” Lyle said. “I’ve got no doubt that this group is going to get back to work and give ourselves a chance again.”
Grandview 10, Franklin 8
Class 3A Region III Final
Game 3
Franklin;004;102;1;—;8;8;4
Grandview;053;002;X;—;10;11;0