BURLINGTON — Down 1-0 and no hits in the game, Iola American Legion Post 15’s A Indians went to work in the fourth inning Wednesday night.
The A Indians scored 12 runs on nine hits in the bottom of the fourth inning. That proved to be enough.
Iola beat Emporia 12-1 in a run-ruled, four-inning contest to open the Kansas American Legion Single A Zone 3 tournament. In the other zone tournament opener, host team Burlington decked Eureka 15-4.
Tonight, Emporia plays Eureka at 6 o’clock in the losers bracket of the double elimination event. Iola (16-6) takes on Burlington at 8 o’clock.
On the line is a berth in the 2012 Kansas American Legion Single A State Tournament next week at Pratt.
The Zone 3 tournament wraps up on Friday. The winner of the Emporia-Eureka game plays the loser of Iola-Burlington at 6 p.m.
The winner of tonight’s Iola-Burlington game moves into the championship contest. That team will await the winner of Friday’s first game. The championship game is at 8 p.m. Friday.
All games are played on the Burlington High School baseball field. If a second game is needed to determine the championship, it will be played at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Against Emporia, Grayson Pearish threw one-hitter for Iola. Emporia scored a run in the top of the fourth, helped by two Iola errors. Pearish walked one batter in the game and struck out five.
With one gone in the bottom of the fourth, Iola’s offense took off. The Indians connected for nine hits, used three walks issued by Emporia pitchers and two hit batters to move runners around the bases.
Eric Heffern had a single and a triple in the inning and drove in four runs. Trent Latta hit a two-run triple. Aaron Barclay plated two runs on his second single of the inning.
Pearish hit two singles. Shae Beasley singled. Cole Morrison brought in the 12th run of the inning on a base hit.
