Softball: Grand Oaks Rolls To Third Round For First Time

HUMBLE, TX — The Grizzlies got put on their heels early, but a steady hand in the circle and an offense that found its footing had the members of the Grand Oaks softball team chanting “Round 3!” on Friday night.

Grand Oaks sophomore pitcher Kourtney Bellinger didn’t allow a runner past second base after the second inning, and the Grizzlies scored 15 runs in the final four innings to sprint to a 15-4 victory over Klein Collins in a Class 6A area playoff game at Humble High School. The victory propelled Grand Oaks into the third round for the first time in the program's short history.

The Grizzlies will face the winner of a three-game series between District 13-6A foe Oak Ridge and Bridgeland in the regional quarterfinals. Bridgeland won Game 1 of that series 11-10 on Friday night. The second and, if necessary, third games will be played Saturday night.

The playoff run continues for a Grizzlies program that reached the postseason for the first time this season.

“It means more than anyone could ever explain,” Bellinger said. “I’m very thankful that we are as far as we are right now, and I’m thankful for our seniors, that they get the chance to do this.”

Bellinger struggled to locate the strike zone early, often just missing on the outside corner, which led to five walks and two hit batsmen in the first two innings. The Tigers capitalized, scoring a run in the first inning and adding three more in the second to take a 4-0 lead.

“I knew I had to adjust because [the umpire] wasn’t going to call [the outside corner],” Bellinger said. “So I just started looking lower in the zone.”

The adjustment worked like a charm. Bellinger shut Collins down for the last five innings, allowing just five base runners over that stretch. A double from Tigers starting pitcher Savannah Carter in the fourth was the only time a Collins runner reached scoring position after the second inning.

Bellinger tossed a complete game, giving up four runs on four hits and seven walks and striking out six. Her effort allowed Grand Oaks to hang around long enough to get its offense going.

It took all of one inning for the Grizzlies to wipe out the deficit as Avery Pemberton, Morgan Yeager and Allie Hagebusch drew three straight walks off Carter to open the third. Savannah Pemberton chased Carter from the game with a single through the left side, which cut the lead to 4-1. Gabby Rawls greeted relief pitcher Abby Ramirez with a single up the middle to make it 4-2, and Jacey Meade tied the game with a two-run single to right.

Avery Pemberton, Yeagar and Hagebusch catalyzed a three-run fifth, loading the bases again with two singles and a walk. Rawls and Meade walked in runs, and Bellinger hit a sacrifice fly to make it 7-4.

The Grizzlies broke the game open with an eight-run seventh inning. Kaet Dunbar notched the big hit with a two-run double to right-center. Avery Pemberton, Savannah Pemberton and Rawls added RBIs, and pinch-hitter Haley Pair smacked a two-run single to left.

Avery Pemberton, Yeager and Hagebusch were the table setters for the Grizzlies, combining to go 8 for 10 with four walks and nine runs scored.

“After we saw the pitcher and started making connections, our confidence grew, and we were able to produce some runs,” Grand Oaks head coach Amanda Brimberry said.

Brimberry said the growth of her team this season is evident. Though without their complete starting lineup at the time, the Grizzlies lost to Collins in a preseason scrimmage.

“I just told them to enjoy the moment,” Brimberry said. “Everything from here on out is all great teams, and they’ve just got to keep fighting. We’ve got to keep building that confidence this week and let them know they can compete with these teams.”