Exciting finish gives Mineola early lead in three-game playoff series

Posted 5/20/21

It may not have been the greatest game in the history of baseball, but it was definitely in the top ten. Game one of the Mineola vs. New Diana series was that good. The Yellowjackets eclipsed the …

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Exciting finish gives Mineola early lead in three-game playoff series

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It may not have been the greatest game in the history of baseball, but it was definitely in the top ten. Game one of the Mineola vs. New Diana series was that good. The Yellowjackets eclipsed the Eagles, 3-2, on a seventh inning score tallied when Riley Fowler beat out a throw at first. 

The game had all the elements one wishes to see in a baseball game: great pitching, spectacular fielding, sound strategy and sharp tactics.

The scorecard pitted New Diana fastballer Zachary Malone against Yellowjacket ace Spencer Joyner. Their performances mirrored one another. Each hurler faced 29 hitters. Joyner gave up four hits and issued six passes. Malone gave up five base hits and issued three walks. Each pitcher registered three strike-outs. 

Being staged in the old but beautiful Driller Park in Kilgore seemed to enhance this duel between two very talented starters and their teams. 

Through four complete innings the game was scoreless. New Diana managed to put five runners on base in those early innings, Mineola three, but gaining scoring position was a tough challenge for both teams. 

Mineola’s best effort was in the bottom of the third. Thomas Hooton reached on a walk and was pushed to second with a Jack Heard bunt. With two outs, Riley Fowler laid down a beauty of a bunt down the third base line and collected an infield hit. The play moved Hooton to third, where he was left on base after Cason Davis lifted a fly ball to left for the third out.

The Eagles had two men on in the first and the third but they could not capitalize. New Diana was getting their bats to the ball, but Joyner’s pitching kept the Eagles at bay, resulting in fly-ball and ground ball outs. 

New Diana broke open the scoring in the fifth. Their lead-off man was hit by a pitch. After stealing second, he scored on a double smashed down the left field line. Two batters later, a single drove-in the second run. A nice relay cut-off on a throw to the plate from Brady Shrum in left field -- which was cut by Joyner who threw to Fowler at second – nailed the batter trying to take second base on the play. 

The Jackets evened the score in the bottom of the sixth. Fowler and Davis stroked clean singles to center and left field respectively. Caleb Gant moved both runners with a sacrifice bunt. With two outs Joyner crushed the first pitch into the right field corner for a two-run double.

Going into the seventh inning, it was an incredibly close-matched game.    

New Diana led off the seventh with a Texas-leaguer to center field. Joyner put the second hitter on with a walk. The next batter sent a very high pop-up back by the screen. Coy Anderson made the catch (his second of the night) against the screen, but the two Eagle baserunners were poised to tag-up and advance. With one out, New Diana had runners on second and third. 

The next Eagle batter hit a short fly ball behind second. Fowler had to gain the outfield grass to make the catch, and knowing that the runner would try to score from third after the catch, Fowler backtracked deeper so that he could come forward with the catch and have momentum on his throw to the plate. The technique worked just as advertised. Fowler threw a strike to Anderson who tagged out the runner at the plate. 

The game was won in Yellowjacket fashion – by putting the ball in play and leveraging speed. Shrum led off and sent a rolling grounder to short. The New Diana shortstop made a clean play on the ball, but Shrum beat the throw for an infield single. 

Hooton then put down a nice bunt right in front of the plate. The Eagle catcher mishandled the pick-up and threw errantly to first. Shrum took third on the error. Heard then went down swinging and New Diana intentionally walked Anderson to load the bases. 

Fowler stepped into the box and hit a sharp ground ball to second. The New Diana fielder made a nice scoop and throw to second for the front end of a double-play. The relay was off target, and Fowler would have beaten the throw regardless. Shrum had already crossed the plate. When Fowler stepped safely on first base, Mineola won the game.

It was an emotional win for the Yellowjackets. New Diana is an excellent baseball team and they have some talent destined for playing at the next level. It made the win especially sweet.

The joy which Coach Bowker’s team experienced last Thursday night was reversed the next evening.

On Friday New Diana walked-off with a 4-3 win. Friday’s seventh inning turn of events set up a rubber match of the series for Saturday at 1 pm. (See related story above)