The Mineola Lady Jackets committed two costly fielding errors in the top of the seventh in a 3-1 loss to the visiting Chapel Hill Red Devils last Tuesday. 

Until those two mistakes, the Lady Jackets had played near perfect defense with 14 put-outs in the field. Kayleigh Thompson also chalked up four strike-outs.   

Thompson had an excellent six-inning stretch. Her off-speed combinations, drop ball and curveball kept the Lady Devils hitters frustrated all night. Her placement likewise was spot-on. In six complete innings she gave up only three hits. 

While the visitors were trying to adjust to the unique action of Thompson’s pitching, the Lady Jackets were fighting to catch up to the delivery of Chapel Hill’s fireball right hander. It made for a great juxtaposition. 

The Lady Jackets put one on the board in the first with their well-tested recipe. Kenleigh Aguirre beat out a bunt, took second on a wild pitch and reached third on a fielder’s choice. She scored on a passed ball. 

Chapel Hill answered in the third. After reaching on a walk, consecutive singles chased the tying run home.  The second single brought a throw to the plate. It was too late to nip the runner, but it did allow Mineola to catch a Chapel Hill baserunner in a pickle between second and third. Thompson then forced two ground ball outs to end the Red Devil threat.

The middle frames saw each team throttled by the opposing pitching and defense. Mineola managed three baserunners in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings, while the Devils left four on base.

With one on and one out in the top of the seventh, a fielding error by reliever Jaycee Smith -- who had a spectacular game catching the first six innings – and a fielding error at first base when a sure out just popped out of Lauren Simmon’s mitt, loaded the bases for Chapel Hill.

The Red Devils laid down a textbook squeeze play bunt. The runner from third scored, and the baserunner from second made it home on a catching error during the play at the plate.

Although Gracie Finley started the bottom of the seventh with a single to right field, the Lady Jackets could not generate any further offense.   

Several Lady Jackets had solid games. In addition to Thompson’s work on the mound, Alyssa Lankford had a nice running catch in left field and beat out a 6-3 ground ball to start the sixth. Lankford’s first-inning catch was matched in the fifth inning by a catch on the run by right fieder Alana Galaz.

In the second inning, the Mineola infield combined for a nice double play. Smith put the batter out on a 2-3 throw after a dropped third strike. The throw had enough pace to tag the Chapel Hill baserunner caught returning to the base. 

Aguirre led the Jackets by going 2 for 4 at the plate.