‘Jackets grind out victory

Posted 3/17/21

In what may have been the longest 7-inning game in the history of baseball, the Mineola Yellowjackets dispatched the visiting Cooper Bulldogs 15-6 last Monday.

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‘Jackets grind out victory

Posted

In what may have been the longest 7-inning game in the history of baseball, the Mineola Yellowjackets dispatched the visiting Cooper Bulldogs 15-6 last Monday.

It was one of those games which just seemed to drag on.

Three pitchers threw for each side. Their pace of play was not slow; there were simply a lot of pitches thrown. 

The Yellowjackets put runs on the board in each inning except the fourth. They used their patented approach of manufacturing baserunners and aggressively running the bases. 

Timely hitting played a key role in the Jackets’ run production. Riley Fowler put the home side on the board with an RBI single in the first. In the second Fowler tallied an RBI with a deep sacrifice fly. Cason Davis and Spencer Joyner recorded RBIs in the third inning. Joyner added an RBI in the fifth with a sacrifice fly.

Mineola put up five runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Conner Gibson opened the inning with a double, and Caleb Gant later cleared the bases with a triple. He then scored on a Braydon Alley double.    

Seven Yellowjackets combined for 10 base hits on the day. 

Defensively, Mineola lost their focus only once in the game, giving up a three-run fourth inning. A critical throwing error – one of two by the Jackets – and a late throw on a routine ground ball both gifted the visitors runs.

The defensive play of the game was the first out in the top of the seventh. The lead-off Cooper batter popped the ball behind the pitcher’s mound. Shortstop Joyner had to charge hard and bare-hand the ball on the run. An off-balance throw nipped the runner at first.

The game illustrated exactly what one can expect from the Jackets in district play: a team that puts the ball in play, can sacrifice to move runners and runs the bases hard. There is not a lot of power in the line-up, but the team is full of ballplayers. 

In the field, Mineola is solid, with a lot of flexibility. The pitching staff is competent, and while not overpowering, can hit the spots called for. 

The Yellowjackets opened district play on Tuesday, March 16 at home against Winona.