Lady Oilers punch ticket to state softball title game
By Dr. David Davis
May 24, 2026
Pearland has been at the state softball tournament in 5A:1995, 1996*, 2009, 2010*, 2011, 2016, 6A: 2023*, and 2026.
Three times, the Lady O's have been crowned state champions in 1996 (5A), 2010 (5A), and 2023 (6A).
Legendary Hall of Fame coach Laneigh Clark, who guided the Lady Oilers to two of those titles in 2010 and 2023, retired after 25 years as the winningest 6A coach in Texas softball history. She turned the keys over to longtime assistant head coach Michele Hyden in 2024 who has won two District 22-6A titles the last two seasons with a combined 31-1 record.
In only her second year at the helm, Hyden finds herself in the driver's seat of the traditionally rich Pearland softball machine that she helped create for 27 years to grab the 2026 Class 6A Region III Div I and Class 6A Div I state semifinal titles.
Now, the only thing remaining is the 2026 Class 6A Div I state championship. The Lady Oilers will enter the state title game with a sensational 37-6 record.
Pearland will face the 2025 Class 6A Div I defending state champion the Waco Midway Lady Panthers (35-5-1) on Saturday, May 30 at 1:00 p.m. at the Red and Charline McCombs Field on the University of Texas campus in Austin.
Midway has won numerous district titles, and they have also claimed three state championships in their storied history so the state title game should be a real battle this year.
This is the third straight year that Midway has been in the state championship game as they have been at the state tournament 11 times (5A:1993, 94, 95, 96, 98*, 99, 2008, 10*, 11, 12, 6A: 24, 6A:24, Div I 2025* 2026).
Pearland's journey to the 6A Div I state throne room hasn't been without a few challenges.
The Lady Oilers avoided elimination two times, once in the regional tournament and once in the state semifinals.
In the regional tournament, Pearland swept FB Travis (6-0, 13-2), Cy-Ridge (10-0, 9-1), and Cy-Fair (8-0).
In the area round, Pearland beat Atascocita 8-0, 6-14, 16-3 on their path to the region crown.
The Lady O's faced Buda Johnson with the winner advancing to the state finals.
Johnson won the first a best-of-three series 7-1 as the Pearland offense and defense sputtered against a team that had never advanced to the state semifinals.
The Lady Oilers regrouped and dominated the next two games 9-1 and 8-2 to take the series and the ticket to the Class 6A Div I state finals.
The Pearland offense completely blasted the Lady Jaguars as the Lady Oilers used the long ball to overpower Buda Johnson.
A total of eight home runs, four in each game, is the arsenal that Pearland used to take out Johnson.
In Game One, Pearland scored all of their runs off the long ball led by Elaina Njus (3-for-3, 3 runs, 3 RBIs, 2 HR) who blasted two home runs while Layla Bennett (1-for-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR) and Payton Shugart (2-for-3, 1 run, 2 RBIs, HR) both sent one over the outfield wall.
Senior pitcher Madelyn Guzman stepped in the pitching circle to give a sterling effort as she allowed only three hits, one run while fanning 11 hitters and walking two for the win.
In Game Two, the Lady Oilers unleashed four more homers led by Elaina Njus as she sent one out in the fourth inning and one in the seventh frame.
Layla Bennett (2-for-2, 3 runs, 2 RBIs, HR) and Olivia Matejka (2-for-3, 1 run, 2 RBIs, HR) both smashed home runs. Bennett sent a two-run shot over the centerfield wall while Njus and Matejka hit back-to-back homers in the seventh frame for the 8-2 win.
Meanwhile, Pearland righthander Madelyn Guzman showed why she is the pitching ace of the team as she allowed five hits, two runs while whiffing 10 hitters and issuing only one free pass for the win.
As a team, Pearland scored eight runs on 10 hits while limiting Johnson to five hits and two runs.
