Softball Game Preview: Mineola Yellowjackets vs. Gilmer Buckeyes

The Mineola Yellowjackets are taking a road trip to take on the Gilmer Buckeyes at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Mineola 4, Gilmer 2.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Gilmer will be up against a hot Mineola squad: the team just extended their winning streak to four. The Yellowjackets put the hurt on Quitman with a sharp 17-1 win on Tuesday. The Yellowjackets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten contests by six runs or more this season.

Anna Castleberry and Journie Wilson did most of the damage at the plate: Castleberry scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Wilson went 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Wilson also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Mahayla McMahon was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-2.

They weren't the only ones working in the hit department: Mineola kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in eight consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Gilmer has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 2.64 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Spring Hill 11-10. The win continues a trend for the Buckeyes in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won four in a row.

Gilmer's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-3-2. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.8 runs over those games. As for Mineola, their record now sits at 12-8-2.

Mineola suffered a grim 9-2 defeat to Gilmer in their previous meeting back in February of 2020. Can the Yellowjackets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.