The fortunate few who were able to catch the Mineola vs Quitman baseball game – rescheduled to Grand Saline last Tuesday afternoon – braved a gale force north wind. They were also rewarded with an old-fashioned pitching duel, as Quitman’s Landon Richey and Mineola’s Spencer Joyner combined for 32 strike-outs. Mineola won the game, 4-1, but the pitching performance of the hurlers were primarily featured. 

The visiting Jackets put up one run in the first. Lead-off hitter Cason Davis drew a walk and had a clean steal of second base. After Kaden Bell went down on strikes, Braydon Alley stepped to the plate. He hammered a pitch into left field, driving in Davis. 

Quitman went down in order in the bottom half, as did Mineola in the top of the second. 

Bulldog Jack Tannebaum lined a single to left-center field and was the first Quitman baserunner of the day. He stole second cleanly and drew a throw to third as he attempted to steal third. The throw skirted into short left, and Tannebaum scampered home to tie the score. 

The Jackets rallied in the third. Brady Shrum stroked the first pitch directly into center for a lead-off single. He advanced to second with a steal and took third on a passed ball. Bell laid down a perfect squeeze play bunt down the first baseline which batted Shrum home.

Alley – who went 2 for 4 on the day – turned on a fastball and ripped a pitch into left-center for a double.  In a great piece of hitting, Trevor Singletary laced a ball through the right side for an RBI-single. Mineola had taken a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the third. 

The Bulldogs appeared to be answering in the bottom half. Kameron Crockett reached after a close 4-3 ground ball out was overturned on appeal. Mason Reynolds stepped in and drilled a stand-up double to right. Reynolds hit the ball with such force that Mineola was able to field it and return the ball to the infield in time to prevent Crockett from scoring. 

With runners on second and third and no outs, Quitman was on the verge of a rally. In a great bit of pitching, Joyner put out the next three hitters on a pop-out and two strike-outs to end the inning. 

It was the last threat from Quitman, as Joyner just got better as the game wore on. He issued one free pass in the last four innings and foiled Bulldog hitters with 11 strike-outs in the final 12 outs.     

Mineola was likewise shackled by Richey. He allowed just one additional baserunner until he was pulled with two away in the top of the seventh. 

Quitman brought in Ford Tannebaum, but the Jackets took advantage with back-to-back base hits by Davis and Bell. Bells’ single drove in Dalton Hamlin, who had led off the inning being hit by a pitch. 

Joyner set the Bulldogs down in order in the seventh to secure the win.

The pitching performances by Joyner and Richey were remarkable. Joyner gave up three hits, two free passes and recorded 19 strike-outs in 104 pitches. Richey threw 105 pitches in 6.2 innings allowing five hits, giving up two free passes, and striking out 13.