The Iola American Legion Post 15 Indians 15-and-under team snapped a three-game losing streak while competing at the Marysville Post 163 Junior Tournament over the weekend.
The Indians went 1-2 on the day with a 10-1 victory over Wymore Diller Odel Jr. Legion before falling to the host team Marysville 9-2, then wrapping up the tournament with a 9-1 loss to Hiawatha Post 66.
Iola got the tournament started on the right foot after jumping out to a 5-0 lead after the opening frame, then putting the game away with four runs in the fourth inning of the five-inning contest. Pitcher Easton Weseloh picked up the victory with 12 strikeouts over four innings with reliever Roy Gordon spelling him for an inning with a pair of strikeouts in the fifth.
Third baseman Thomas Allee picked up the first of his team-leading three RBIs with a two-RBI single in the opening frame and later gave Iola a 5-0 advantage after scoring on a wild pitch just moments after second baseman Blake Michael reached home in similar fashion.
Iola extended its lead in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by outfielder Broderick Peters. In the fourth, the Indians added four more runs on a Weseloh sacrifice fly and RBI singles by Allee and Michael.
The Indians fell in the second Saturday game after climbing back into contention with runs in the fourth and fifth inning, but Marysville scored six runs in the fifth inning to run away with the victory.
Pitcher Kale Pratt took the loss with a pair of strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings on the mound. Until the sixth, he allowed three runs before handing over duties to reliever Ruger Boren.
Iola briefly tied the game with a Weseloh RBI grounder in the third inning, but it was all Hiawatha from there.
Facing a 3-0 deficit in the fourth inning, Peters put Iola on the scoreboard with an RBI single. In the fifth, Michael cut the lead to a run on an RBI single, but that was as close as the Indians would get to victory.
Eight unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth innings put the Indians in an insurmountable deficit in the tournament finale. Hiawatha won 9-1.
Despite tallying five strikeouts, pitcher Austin Crooks took the loss with four earned runs and four walks over his 4 1/3 innings pitched. Coming on in relief, Michael picked up a strikeout while coming on in relief.
Weseloh accounted for Iola’s only RBI while successful in 1-2 at-bats. Crooks had a team-leading pair of hits while successful in 2 of 3 at-bats.
The Indians sit at 2-5 and hope to get back in the win column when they host the Midwest Elite Tuesday evening. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
