The American Legion Post 15 Indians are back above .500 after sweeping the Midwest Elite of Emporia 8-7 and 12-0.
Melvern outfielder Dalton Lingenfelter made his only hit in Thursday’s opener count by driving in the game-winning run in the Indians’ final at-bat, which set up the 12-0 victory in the finale.
Iola pitcher Austin Crooks threw a four-inning no-hitter.
“I felt good, and I was hitting the zone pretty well aside from a couple of batters,” said Crooks, who was two walks shy of a perfect game while striking out five runners. “It helped a lot having the defense make big plays behind me. It gave me more confidence to just throw strikes.”
Iola’s come-from-behind victory in the opener seemed to break the back of the Midwest Elite. Steady scoring kept Post 15 in control for most of the contest. An RBI single by Iola second baseman Brock Michael put the Indians in the lead in the opening frame.
Iola continued adding to its lead with a run in each subsequent inning off RBI grounders by Humboldt starting pitcher Ty Shaughnessy and Iola first baseman Broden Emerson. Emporia responded with three runs in the fourth inning to tie the contest, but the Indians continued to chop away.
A Crooks poke past the first baseman gave Iola the lead in the fifth inning, only to have Emporia land a knockout blow with four runs in the sixth.
Iola outfielder Grady Dougherty responded by kick-starting a three-run rally with an RBI single in the sixth inning. A pair of bases-loaded walks tied the game in the seventh, then a Lingenfelter two-out line drive secured the victory.
On the mound, Shaughnessy had a team-leading six strikeouts. Iola pitcher Kale Pratt earned the victory after holding Emporia to just one hit in the final 1 2/3 innings with a strikeout and two walks. Dougherty led in hits while successful in 3 of 4 at-bats. Dougherty, who enters only his second game with the Indians, attributed his sudden success to his red-shirt season at Neosho County Community College.
“I just had confidence, and was playing loose,” Dougherty said. “I get a tendency to play tight, and muscley, but when I do that, I don’t play well. It was just about knowing I could hit whatever is thrown at me.”
Dougherty’s bat stayed hot in the nightcap. As Crooks kept Emporia scoreless, Iola jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the opening frame. A Shaughnessy RBI grounder put Iola on the scoreboard, then Lingenfelter made it 2-0 after scoring on a fielding error on the same play.
Emporia’s pitching woes continued as the Indians built upon their lead with scores on wild pitches and RBI singles from Iola outfielder Kale Pratt and Moran shortstop Tyler Lord. After a scoreless second inning, the Indians plated four runs in the third with a Lingenfelter sacrifice fly, a two-RBI Dougherty single and a Pratt RBI single.
Once the dust settled, Dougherty ended the day with a team-leading three RBIs, followed by Pratt with a pair. Pratt and Lord also tied for the most hits with a pair each.
“I love how our batting has come around,” Coach T.J. Taylor said. “The team is getting to know each other and becoming more relaxed. We’re just enjoying summer ball. I feel really good going into next week.”
With the win, the Indians improved to 7-5 overall. They host Ottawa and Pittsburg Monday and Tuesday at Allen Community College. First pitch for both doubleheaders is 6 p.m. for the opener and 8 p.m. for the nightcap.
