When one team bats around in three of the five completed innings, it is a pretty good indicator of a rout. That was the case last Friday as the Lady Jackets of Mineola disposed of the Quitman Lady Bulldogs, 23-4. 

The statistics, logically, bear out that storyline. Mineola amassed 16 base hits, seven for extra bases. Meanwhile starter Jadelyn Marshall went the distance giving up four hits. 

Leading 16-0 going into the bottom of the third, Mineola lost focus and gave up four runs to the home side. The Lady Jackets were bit by two errors, a passed ball and a free pass. It was simply a psychological let-down in a game which was already out-of-hand.

Mineola quickly righted the ship. They faced only seven Lady Bulldogs hitters in the last two innings while putting up an additional seven runs.

Three characteristics of the 2025 Lady Jackets come to mind while watching them in the early season: aggression, confidence and teamwork.  

The aggression is not confined to the base paths but is present in how the team positions defensively and how they approach their opportunities at the plate. 

The confidence is reassuring as long as it remains backed up by competence. Thus far, that has proven to be the case. 

The Lady Jackets have indeed built a team environment. That can only be done among a team when the entire group is focused on a larger objective. In this regard (and after starting district play with two wins) so far, so good.

For the young Lady Bulldog squad, the year might contain a lot of learning points. But there were indicators that the Lady Bulldogs have the grit required to make this season fruitful.    

Three points from Friday’s game are evidence of this.

The defensive play of the game was made by Quitman left fielder Peyton Spears. She went a long way at a full sprint to just snag a fly ball in foul territory near the fence. She managed the catch before careening into the chain link fence – the ball remained securely tucked in her mitt. It was a standing ovation kind of play.

The number of pitches thrown by Quitman hurler Aubrey Calhoun is not known, but she threw a ton in a five-inning game. She faced 45 batters. However, she never gave in or gave up but competed to the end.

The last indicator of Quitman’s competitiveness came in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Larkin Spears stepped to the plate and smashed a triple to the left-center field fence.  

While the Lady Bulldogs leverage those images as best they can, the Lady Jackets are primed for a memorable season with sights set far beyond Wood County.