CHANUTE — Doug Kerr found a fitting analogy for the Iola A Indians Saturday.
“We took that mentality of a boxing match,” he explained. “We’ve just got to keep punching and punching, and hope that eventually we’re gonna break through.”
It was only fitting that Iola put forth an effort that would have made Rocky Balboa blush.
The Indians picked themselves off the proverbial mat, rebounding from a disappointing loss to Chanute to open the Junior Legion Zone Tournament Friday, and then found themselves trailing Garnett, 3-1, in the sixth inning Saturday.
Teetering on the brink of elimination, Iola’s Ben Kerr delivered the hit of the tournament, blasting a bases-loaded drive to the wall.
By the time Garnett’s center fielder retrieved the ball to the infield, young Kerr was sliding into third base for a three-run triple.
Iola’s 3-1 deficit turned into a 4-3 lead.
The Indians never looked back from there, sealing off the 5-3 victory to earn a rematch with Chanute in a win-or-go-home finale.
Iola took the early lead and built on it from there, defeating Chanute, 8-1, to secure a bid in next week’s Class A American Legion State Tournament in Great Bend.
“I’m really proud of all the kids,” said Coach Kerr, who served as head coach because Mike Dougherty, who has piloted the Indians up to this weekend, was out of town with a schedule conflict.
Perhaps most noteworthy, Iola was without other key players, such as Gavin Jones and Grady Dougherty.
“Gavin’s been our best pitcher all season, and Grady has pitched and been one of our best hitters,” Kerr noted. “Some guys stepped up and did some really great jobs for us.”
SATURDAY’S momentum shifted with Ben Kerr’s sixth-inning at bat.
Iola had taken a quick 1-0 lead when Payton Houk singled and Noah Gleue tripled him home in the top of the first before Garnett rallied for a pair in the third.
And the Indians came up empty after loading the bases with nobody out in the fourth.
Iola’s hopes grew dimmer still when Garnett pushed across an insurance run with two outs in the fifth.
