The Mineola Yellowjackets took the short trip down to Winona for a spring break warm-up last Wednesday. They hammered balls to most of the expansive acreage at Wildcat Field and came home with a 17-0, five- inning shortened win.

The mindset of the game was set on the first pitch, as Cason Davis lined the ball into center for a crisp single. He and three other Yellowjackets came around to score in the inning. 

Although Winona did not help their cause by committing a costly throwing error, the Jackets hit the ball hard. Ty Burch ripped a double into the right-center field gap while Braydon Alley also pushed a run across by smashing a ball through the left side of the infield.

Mineola likewise started the game with a great play in the field. Alley made a difficult catch in left field, by having to track deeper into the left-center field gap to spear a very hard-hit liner.

The Jackets chased the Wildcat starter from the mound in the second. They went from facing a breaking ball pitcher to a fastball pitcher. It didn’t matter. Mineola put up 10 runs in the second and added four more in the third.

J.J. Gandy led off the second with a deep drive into the left field corner. He raced around the bags, nearly stumbling in excitement as he rounded third, but recovered and came in with an inside-the-park home run.

Alley chased three runs home moments later by putting a ball in nearly the same spot for a stand-up triple. Gandy returned to the plate in the inning and banged in two more runs when he put a ball through the left side of the infield.

The Yellowjackets combined for 11 hits. Each of the starting Jackets collected a base hit on the day. Alley and Gandy went four of nine, collectively.

Meanwhile left-hander Matthew Ballew gave up three hits, while striking out ten and issuing one free pass. He had excellent control and consistently hit the outside corner at the knees. 

It gave the Jackets a 2-0 start to district play after a 4-3 win over Mt. Pleasant Chapel Hill last Tuesday.

The next opportunity to catch the Jackets at home will be Saturday, April 1 against Athens. First pitch is scheduled for high noon.