The Grand Saline Lady Indians spoiled Mineola’s quest for a perfect district record with a 3-2 defeat of the Lady Jackets last Friday in Grand Saline. With each team prepping for a playoff run, it was Grand Saline that grabbed the momentum in the fifth inning and held on for a win.

Both teams will certainly be competitive in the upcoming playoffs. Each will be looking to field playoff-caliber softball. Last Friday neither team did.

The Lady Jackets left four runners on base in scoring position; the Lady Indians ended up leaving eight on base. Each team committed two errors, with one of those errors directly contributing to a run for each side.

Mineola managed only three base hits with Kaitlyn McMahon going 2-for-3 and Kali Chrietzberg launching a solo home run in the fourth. Grand Saline generated five base hits. Back-to-back extra base hits in the bottom of the fifth produced the tying and winning runs for the Lady Indians.  

Mineola looked to have the momentum in the fourth when Chrietzberg crushed a pitch over the fence in right field. The Lady Jackets had taken a 1-0 lead in the second courtesy of a Lady Indian error, a fielder’s choice and a passed ball. Grand Saline evened the score in the third.  A single, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly created the run. 

Chrietzberg stepped in to lead-off the fourth. On a 2-1 count she drove a pitch to the opposite field which left no doubt that it was leaving the park.  

In the bottom half, despite a Mineola fielding error, the Jackets closed down the Lady Indians. All appeared in order for Mineola, with the top of the order coming up to start the fifth.

The Lady Jackets went down in order on four pitches, however, on two pop-ups and a fly ball. Grand Saline clearly recaptured the momentum.

Mineola began the bottom of the fifth by committing a fielding error. Two extra base hits knocked in two runs for Grand Saline. The Lady Jackets could not hang on to the ball on a good throw to nab the second run at the plate. It was all Grand Saline needed.

After Chrietzberg’s home run in the fourth inning, the next 12 Mineola hitters went down in order. Those baserunners left on base in the early innings haunted the Lady Jackets.

In the first inning, Mineola has runners on second and third with one out, and in the third they had runners on second and third with no outs. In each case they could not bring home the runs. 

Journie Wilson got the start for Mineola. She threw six innings giving up five hits, striking out two and issuing three free passes. Jadelyn Marshall set the Lady Indians down in order in the sixth.  

The Grand Saline game will certainly provide Mineola with a chance to review competencies and shore up aspects of their game before the start of the second season.