Lady Jackets lose finale, enter playoffs

Posted 4/27/23

The Mineola Lady Jackets wrapped up their district schedule last Tuesday, and the Winnsboro Lady Raiders spoiled the evening. Winnsboro went home with a 15-6 win. 

The Lady Raiders brought …

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Lady Jackets lose finale, enter playoffs

Posted

The Mineola Lady Jackets wrapped up their district schedule last Tuesday, and the Winnsboro Lady Raiders spoiled the evening. Winnsboro went home with a 15-6 win. 

The Lady Raiders brought their bats. They racked up 19 base hits. Winnsboro dominated the game through six and a half innings, building a 13-1 lead.   

Mineola, however, was not done. They rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Jaycee Smith led off the sixth with one of the best-hit balls of the night. Her hard-hit line drive came almost straight at the Lady Raider left fielder. It was hit with such force that the fielder had to stab at the ball, and it glanced off her mitt. Smith cruised into second.

Allie Hooton followed with a smash landing at the base of the left field fence. Smith scored, and Hooton had a double.

Brooke Louderman laid down a nice bunt and would have beat out the throw to first. An errant throw on the play put the runners at second and third.  

A perfect squeeze play bunt was put down by Jorja Young. The placement was beautiful, and Hooton scored from third, while Young easily gained first base.

A bunt single by Caroline Castleberry loaded the bases. 

With two outs, Jadelyn Marshall stepped into the box and sent a sizzling shot through the right side. Three runs scored as the Lady Raiders misplayed the ball.

It was a banner inning for the Lady Jackets, and it turned a 13-1 game into a 13-6 game. It wasn’t enough, as only four Lady Jackets came to the plate in the seventh, but it was a statement that Mineola, too, could play. 

Winnsboro – which sits atop the district with an undefeated district record – added two runs in the top of the seventh to record the final score of the night.

The Lady Jackets open the state playoffs Thursday against Queen City for a three-game bidistrict series at Pine Tree High School, with Thursday’s game at 6 p.m. The second game is Saturday at 7 p.m., and if a third game is needed it will be Monday, May 1 at 6 p.m.