Grandview softball outclasses Hallettsville, advances to Class 3A state championship

The Zebras were firing on all cylinders in a UIL class 3A high school softball state semifinal.

Grandview throttled Hallettsville 11-2 on Wednesday at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin to advance to the state championship for a second consecutive season. In 2023, Grandview lost in the title game to Coahoma.

The 2024 Class 3A state championship is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday.

Wednesday’s state semifinal between Coahoma (30-0) and Whitesboro (32-7) at 1 p.m. will decide Grandview’s opponent. In 2023, Grandview lost in the state semifinal to Santa Gertrudis Academy.

But this year, Grandview got over the hump in its third state tournament appearance. Sophomore ace pitcher Madi Doty powered the Zebras to victory, allowing zero earned runs in seven innings pitched.

Hallettsville got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning due to a Grandview error and followed it up with an RBI single that did not affect Doty’s final line.

Doty allowed four hits, one walk and struck out 13 batters in the dominant performance. She carried a heavy burden, throwing 120 pitches.

Grandview (32-2) had nine hits but also relied on their patience, drawing eight walks. As a team, the Zebras forced Hallettsville’s defense to work by striking out three times.

Doty and first baseman Bella Jeter were the focal points of the offense with four and two hits, respectively. Jeter tallied two doubles with runners in scoring position, recording a team high five RBIs. Doty also notched two doubles, driving in three runs.

The stellar, all-around performances helped punch Grandview’s ticket to a state championship game for the first time in program history.