Queen City eliminates Mineola in two games

Posted 5/4/23

This season the Lady Jackets scrapped and fought all year to earn a playoff berth. Their reward, however, was facing the top squad from District 14, the Queen City Lady Bulldogs.

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Queen City eliminates Mineola in two games

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The UIL softball playoff regime matches the first-place finishing team in one district against the fourth-place finishing team in a neighboring district. The results of these series can, logically, be a bit lopsided.

This season the Lady Jackets scrapped and fought all year to earn a playoff berth. Their reward, however, was facing the top squad from District 14, the Queen City Lady Bulldogs.

After dropping the first game of the series in a 10-run shut-out, the Lady Jackets were looking for some redemption Saturday night in game two at Whitehouse. 

A lot of things would have to go Mineola’s way to force a third game. It wasn’t to be. 

A narrow strike zone, a very disciplined array of Queen City hitters and 19 Lady Bulldog base hits combined to dispatch the Lady Jackets. 

It was an unsteady start for Mineola. Three free passes in the opening inning, an error and an RBI-single put Queen City up 3-0.

The Lady Bulldogs added three runs in the third with two walks and two RBI-producing base hits. 

Going into the fourth inning, it was yet a ballgame. Although down by six runs, Mineola had left four runners on base and had tagged the opposing pitcher for base hits by Caroline Castleberry, Gracie Lindley and Jorja Young.

At that point Queen City took over. A three-run home run blast by Trinity Oden and a follow-on RBI-double made the score 10-0. 

Mycah Morman came in and relieved Jadelyn Marshall of pitching duties to open the fifth. Morman set the Lady Bulldogs down in order in the fifth and faced only four hitters in a scoreless sixth. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Castleberry lined a ball to the right-centerfield fence. She legged out a triple and scored on a throwing error on the play. The run pressed the game on to seven innings. 

The seventh inning was a bad dream for Mineola. Queen City sent 19 batters to the plate, produced 12 base hits and 14 runs. A second round-tripper by Oden featured in the inning.  Marshall came back in to end the inning for Mineola. 

The Lady Jackets put a run on the board in the seventh. Gracie Finley scored on a single through the right side by Lindley.

The season-ending game was not without a memorable moment. In the top of the fourth Mineola right-fielder, Krissie Barker, made the catch of the game. She speared a deep lined ball which was tailing away toward the right-field corner. Her reaching catch at full gallop was not only a great catch but made it possible to double a runner off second base.