The Iola American Legion Post 15 Indians had a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde performance Tuesday at Alumni park after falling to Chanute Post 170 10-3 in the opener, then mercy-ruling Chanute 13-3 in the nightcap.
After allowing 12 hits to Chanute in the opener, while being held to four, the Indians experienced a reversal of fortunes in the finale as they posted 12 hits, while holding Chanute to 2.
“Their pitcher was pretty good, but our approaches to the plate were pretty terrible,” said Iola coach T.J. Taylor of the conversation between games. “I told them that we needed to get our minds in the right space. Let’s completely wash this first game from our minds and come out and be ready to play the second.”
The Indians held their own against Post 170 early in the opener, jumping out to a 2-0 lead following the second inning. After Chanute held them scoreless in the opening frame, a two-out chopper by Iola second baseman Brock Michael plated Iola third baseman Austin Crooks and Colony outfielder Henry White.
Chanute scored 10 unanswered runs as Post 15 went scoreless over the next four innings. Crooks scored on an errant throw to third base as he attempted to steal from second in the Indians’ final at-bat, but it was well short of turning the tide of the contest as Post 170 held on.
Along with leading the Indians in RBIs with two, Michael also tied Iola first baseman Grady Dougherty and Moran pitcher Tyler Lord for the team lead in hits with two each.
Iola outfielder Kale Pratt (12) stretches for home with Iola first baseman Grady Dougherty behind him.
Lord took the loss on the mound. He edged Iola reliever Broden Emerson for the team lead in strikes with three to Emerson’s two. Lord allowed eight runs on nine hits and four walks over 5 1/3 innings. Emerson was not much better while allowing two runs on three hits and a walk over 1 2/3 innings.
Thanks in part to a dual effort by Crooks in the nightcap, the Indians jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the opening frame and continued pouring on the runs from there. Crooks picked up the win as the leading man in a two-pitcher no-hitter. With just one strikeout, he allowed no runs on two walks before handing over the mound to Moran reliever Thomas Allee, who allowed one run on two hits and a walk.
“Austin did exactly what I asked of him on the mound,” Coach Taylor said. “He was filling up the strike zone. We got our bats going early. We had a lot of energy and it carried us through the rest of the game.”
An RBI single by Dougherty put Iola on the scoreboard, then Crooks drove in the first of his team-leading three RBIs on a grounder through the gap. Dougherty added another run after reaching home on a wild pitch, then Crooks reached home on an error at third base. Tyler Lord got into the action in the second inning with an RBI single, followed by an RBI single from Iola outfielder Kale Pratt. Crooks then picked up another pair of RBIs with a line drive to right field.
The Indians scored another three runs in the third and two in the fourth to secure the mercy rule.
Moran catcher Dominic Smith got them rolling with an RBI single, then reached home on an Emerson grounder. Allee, who reached base on a double, reached home on a wild pitch. Another pair of wild pitches in the fourth inning allowed Post 15 to take a 10-run lead to seal the victory.
Crooks was perfect in the batter’s box, successful in 2 of 2 at-bats. Pratt had the team lead in hits while perfect in 3 of 3. Michael and Dougherty also had a pair of hits. Emerson, Smith, Lord and Dougherty tied for second in RBIs with one each.
Following Tuesday’s split, the Indians’ record remains one-game above .500 at 8-7. They hope to add a few more W’s Thursday, when they host the Fort Scott Freedom.
“I’m looking forward to it. It will be a good game for us to figure out some things,” Coach Taylor said. “We have a lot to build on and a lot to learn. Obviously, we have not been perfect and that’s a little frustrating but we’ll see how it goes.”
With a larger than usual crowd expected Thursday thanks to a fireworks show following the 8 p.m. nightcap, Coach Taylor said he hopes his team puts on a show for the home crowd.
