The Mineola Lady Jackets had their softball season cut short by the Whitesboro Bearcats, as Whitesboro swept the Lady Jackets last week in Rockwall-Heath.

Having dropped the opening game 7-5, the Lady Jackets knew they must take game two.  

Game two was tightly played. Mineola starter Journie Wilson and her Whitesboro counterpart were effective from start to finish. Each team managed only six hits and rarely made solid contact with the ball. 

Mineola gave up one run in the first, fourth and fifth innings. Each Whitesboro score was initiated by a Mineola error.

In the first, the Lady Jackets lost a fly ball in the sun. That baserunner took third on a fielder’s choice and scored on a bunt base hit.

In the fourth, a collision between an infielder and an outfielder converging to make a catch on a Texas-leaguer put a Bearcat on base. She scored when the next hitter doubled with yet another Texas-leaguer to short right field.  

And in the fifth, a mishandled ground ball put the lead-off hitter on base. She stole second and took third on a throwing error during the steal attempt. She came in to score the deciding run on yet another Texas-leaguer.   

Offensively, the Lady Jackets left runners on base in all but the fifth inning. They were unable to advance the runners however. Mineola generated no sacrifices, no steals and lost two runners on the base paths.

The Lady Jackets just could not generate any momentum – until the top of the seventh.

Lead-off hitter Jadelyn Marshall was hit by a pitch. She advanced to second when Jorja Young grounded out to short. Micah Morman stepped in and was plunked, putting runners on first and second.

After Caroline Castleberry went down on strikes, Kaitlyn McMahon stepped into the box. She went deep into the count before drilling a base hit to center which almost rolled to the center field fence. McMahon drove Marshall and Morman home and ended up with a triple. 

It was Mineola’s high-water mark however, as a standard ground ball to third ended the rally and the season, 3-2. 

There was a moment of brilliance however. The Lady Jackets executed a 5-4-3 double play to end the bottom of the first. It was beautifully done. Kali Chrietzberg fielded the sharply-hit ground ball and made a perfect throw to Jorja Young who was covering second base. The throw was shoulder high and on a line. Young stepped on the bag at second, pivoted, and with the advancing runner already sliding into her feet, made an exact throw to Morman at first.