It’s not unusual to come across sisters playing on the same travel ball team or even the same school squad but one high school team in Alabama, the Austin Black Bears, benefited from two siblings with totally different sets of skills.

And both were vital in helping their school win a sixth consecutive Morgan County title.

It wasn’t easy, however, as Austin High had to beat rival Brewer High twice to claim the crown, but these close siblings weren’t to be denied.

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The Complimentary Lambs

In the first must-win game, the score was tied 8-8 in the bottom of the seventh when eighth-grader Evelyn Lamb stepped up and delivered a clutch walk-off double, securing a dramatic 9-8 victory.

Her older sister, Grace Lamb, a sophomore pitcher, closed out the big win with just one earned run over the last four innings.

In the all-or-nothing decisive championship game, Grace again came up big as she went the full seven innings, surrendering only three runs while Austin rolled to a dominating 15-3 win.

Grace also made her presence felt at the plate, going 2-for-4 with key contributions. The defense in the Lamb family shined bright as well, highlighted by a spectacular diving catch in the outfield by younger sis, Evelyn.

Offensively, the Black Bears were powered by a talented lineup led by senior Arden Breedlove, who ranks among the nation’s top home run hitters this season and has been a force all year.

With strong support from the rest of the roster and excellent coaching, the Black Bears have showed exactly why they’ve been the team to beat in the area.

For the young sisters, the bonding experience of winning that county championships was one they’ll never forget.

When asked how exciting it was to win the big game, they both say almost in union: “It was insane!”

“When the last out was made and we realized we actually won,” Grace remembers, “the whole team just exploded. I looked over and saw my sister jumping up and down and I started crying happy tears. That moment is something we’ll never forget!”

Evelyn agreed it was one of the best sports moments they’ve shared.

“It was the best night of my life so far!” the energetic middle schooler exclaims.

“The crowd was so loud, our parents were going crazy in the stands, the team ran out and the other parents were standing and cheering. Winning that game with the walk-off hit with my sister on the field made it 10 times better. It’s a memory we will share together forever.” 

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Dreaming of an Alabama State Championship

Now the focus shifts to Regionals and beyond as the Lamb sisters and their teammates have their eyes set on another deep playoff run—back to the state tournament with hopes of bringing home the ultimate prize.

The team will begin that push on Friday with the start of the Area tournament and both players say they’re ready to make it happen.

The winning, for sure, has been a lot of fun for the sisters, but they agree that being with each has made the journey doubly enjoyable.

“Sometimes we’ll look at each other in the dugout and just start laughing,” Grace, the more talkative of the two, explains “because we can’t believe we’re actually doing this together.”

“Having my sister right there makes the hard practices and long bus rides way better.”

Interestingly, just as they two Lamb sisters have different personalities off the field—Grace is the more talkative and perhaps more comfortable in front of others (she’s an ump for USSSA games, for example)—they are also quite different in their play between the lines.

The older Grace steps up to the plate like a majestic oak tree—big, powerful, and ready to launch one into the next zip code. When she connects, her father Josh says colorfully, “the ball files a complaint with the FAA for unauthorized flight!”

He adds descriptively:

“She’s the ‘boom’ in ‘boom or bust’ and that first base mitt of hers swallows grounders like they owe her money.”

Evelyn, on the other hand, struts in like a “caffeinated hummingbird.”

The younger sister was ranked No. 20 in the 2030 HOT 100 which was released in March and drew serious attention last year when, as noted in her rankings bio “she pitched in the Alabama State tournament and held the defending 7A state champs, Tuscaloosa County, to three hits as a seventh grader.”

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Different, But Complimentary, Playing Styles

The contrast is effective… Grace brings the raw power and extra-base hitting threat while Evelyn can turn a routine single into an adventure for the outfield with her skill at making the defense nervous.

Combined, the duo has helped Austin High achieve a 30-17 record through this week using their varied skill sets to contribute to what looks to be a dangerous team to face in the Alabama high school softball playoffs.

As their dad well described it:

“If the game is on the line and you need one double to clear the bases, Grace is your hero while if you need someone who will annoy the defense into submission, slap her way on base 47 times, and then steal home while doing the worm, Evelyn wins by a landslide (or a perfectly executed hook slide).”

Currently, Grace is hitting .312 with two home runs in the last four games alone with five RBIs. She is also leading her team this year with a .988 fielding percent which is Top 20 in the entire state as she’s had just two errors in 162 chances this season with 144 putouts and 16 assists.

Ever tough to keep off the basepaths, Evelyn has only four strikeouts in 94 plate appearances this Spring while scoring 24 times. She’s also impressed with her contact rate of 95 percent.

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Closing Out in Style… & With Wins

Though they bring contrasting styles of play to the game, one thing they both share in common is their gift in ending a game in dramatic fashion.

Both sisters recently had walk-off hits for their teams while the other one pitched.

Earlier in April, Evelyn had the walk-off winner against Brewer High to win the County Championship Tournament and was nominated for Player of the Week the week of April 4^th.

Just a week later, on April 13^th, Grace had the walk-off game-winner against Russellville High while Evelyn was pitching.

Another fun fact: each of the sisters started for Austin High as seventh graders with nearly identical stats at that stage.

Forever competitive, the girls’ parents light-heartedly offer a ‘Silly Trophy’ to whichever of two makes the most entertaining play or plays in a game.

Their father diplomatically explains:

“You could say Grace and Evelyn are probably best friends who push each other and the real winner is anyone who gets to watch them play”

“But if I have to crown one, Evelyn the Younger takes the Silly Trophy today, purely because watching her slap and slide is like watching a video game character with cheat codes enabled”

“Grace is the final boss, while Evelyn is the speed-runner who beats the game.” 

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Creating Family Closeness

Not surprisingly, Mom and Dad are soaking up the experience and love seeing the sisters having so much fun together.

“We are beyond proud watching our girls play together, having fun, and winning as a team,” their mom Jy says.

“There’s nothing better than seeing them support each other on the field, cheering louder for one another than anyone else, and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Softball brought them even closer, and as parents that means everything to us.”

The girls are also good examples for their two younger siblings, Ryder (age 11) and London (age 5) who love to watch their older sisters having so much fun on the field.

The oldest of the four kids puts it best when talking about how the sport she loves is creating such bonding experiences and memories between herself and teammate Evelyn as well as for the rest of the family.

 “We don’t just share DNA,” Grace concludes. “We share wins, losses, and every inning in between.”

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Media