The Mineola Lady Jackets opened their area-round series against the Redwater Lady Dragons with a 9-4 win last Thursday in Winnsboro. 

As the clock drew nearer and nearer to 11 p.m, there was some uneasiness in the stands. Redwater had tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth and appeared to have the momentum.

Mineola left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh. In the bottom half, they needed a 5-2 force-out at the plate to end the inning. The game hung by a thread.

The Lady Jackets brought the top of their order to the plate to open the eighth. It was fortuitous, as it was a restart for the team.

Caroline Castleberry beat out a ball for an infield base hit. She went to third on another infield hit by Mahayla McMahon. 

Journie Wilson stepped in and sent an RBI-double through the left side. Kali Chrietzberg followed and cracked a line drive to deep left-center. Two more runs scored. 

Courtney Nguyen stroked a double to center, scoring Chrietzberg. Nguyen scored from second with some great hustle on an infield base hit off the bat of Jadelyn Marshall.

It was the big inning that had been brewing for Mineola the whole game.

Mineola had base runners on in all but one inning, leaving 11 runners on base.

Marshall (2 innings, 0 H, 1 K, 3 BB) had come in in the seventh in relief of Mycah Morman (6 innings, 5 H, 6 K, 8 BB). Marshall set the Lady Dragons down in order to secure the win, 9-4.

Mineola has put up a run in the first when Wilson chased Castleberry home with a triple to right field. 

Kaitlyn McMahon scored in the third when she scampered home on a ground ball to the left side.

Redwater managed two runs in the fourth to level the score. 

In what appeared to propel the Lady Jackets to the win, Wilson and Chrietzberg launched back-to-back home runs in the fifth. Wilson’s drive looked to still be climbing as it left the park. Chrietzberg’s homer was a towering drive to left-center.

Redwater managed yet again to tie the score. They brought two runs home in the bottom of the sixth.

Despite loading the bases in the seventh with three free passes, the Lady Dragons stayed with their starter, Allison Bruner.

It was clear she was tiring, and when she came out in the eighth, the Lady Jackets took advantage with three extra base hits. 

It was more than enough to take game one. The Lady Jackets went-on to take game two, 12-0, last Saturday and sweep the series. 

They next face Whitesboro in a Thursday, Friday, Saturday series at Rockwall-Heath High School. Start times are 6 p.m. for all games.

The winner awaits Gunter or Hughes Springs.