In a post-season marked by late-inning rallies, one local fan — likely exhausted by the late-inning drama — posted on the Lady Jackets Facebook site, “It’s OK to score early…”
The Mineola squad took note. Thirteen of their 16 runs scored in their sweep of the Gunter Lady Tigers came in the early innings. Oh, and there was still plenty of drama!
The Lady Jackets put up two big innings early in their Game 1 win over the Gunter Lady Tigers in Rockwall. Gunter is a quality side and threatened a late comeback, but Mineola had built too large of a lead and cruised to a 9-3 win.
The deciding Game 2 was thrilling from the first pitch to the last.
The Lady Jackets put up three runs in both the first and second innings on two-out rallies. In the first, it was a single-double-home run sequence courtesy of Mahayla McMahon, Journie Wilson and Coco Nguyen.
In the second, it started with a solo shot from Caroline Castleberry. Her home run chased the Gunter starter, Ana White. Lady Tiger ace Rylee Cassidy came in to pitch.
After Kaitlyn McMahon reached on an error and Mahayla McMahon pushed a ball through the right side, Nguyen once again produced RBIs. This time, she stroked a single to right, driving in two runs.
Mineola was up 6-0 after two innings, and all seemed in order. It was too easy, which in softball terms is a warning.
Gunter woke up its bats. The Lady Tigers banged out five base hits (four for extra bases) in the top of the third and closed the score to 6-4.
Mineola’s Journie Wilson started Game 2 and threw three complete innings, giving up seven hits, striking out two and issuing no free passes. Jadelyn Marshall came in to open the fourth. Her line was six innings, six hits, five strikeouts and one free pass.
Gunter added a run in the fifth, scampering home from third on a wild pitch.
Both pitchers held the advantage throughout the remainder of the game. Neither hurler was untouchable, but they scattered the hits they gave up.
With one out in the top of the sixth, Gunter had a runner at second. The batter lined a hard smash directly at third baseman Kali Chrietzberg. The runner was caught halfway to third, and an easy throw back to second appeared to end the inning with a double play, but the ball popped out of the mitt. The runner made it back to second.
The next Gunter batter drilled an RBI single to right to tie the game. It was late-inning drama again.
Each team put at least one runner on base in the seventh and eighth innings. Marshall set the Lady Tigers down in order in the top of the ninth. She forced a pop-up and used an excellent changeup to get two strikeouts.
The time was right to win this in the ninth.
Mahayla McMahon led off. In a great piece of hitting, she sent a two-strike pitch to the opposite field. The Gunter first baseman got her glove on the drive, but it ricocheted into right field for a single. Wilson then lined out to left field on a well-struck ball.
Up stepped Nguyen. She cracked the first pitch up the middle into center field. McMahon was running wide open from first, and when the Gunter fielder had a slight bobble while fielding Nguyen’s smash, McMahon turned the corner at third and easily beat the throw home.
Softball celebrations are fun. When a team wins to go to the regional final, the celebrations kind of take over the field, as did this one. It was certainly well deserved; Mineola players believe in one another and never quit.
The Lady Jackets will face fireballer Avery Howerton and the Whitesboro Ladycats in a series to determine which of the two teams goes to Austin for the 3A finals. Hopefully, over the next few days, the Lady Jackets have a chance to get some extra bunting practice in and work on those relay throws from the outfield.
The Lady Jackets play next at Caddo Mills, Thurs., May 14 and Fri., May 15 at 6 p.m., and if needed, game three Sat., May 16 at 1 p.m.