The Iola American Legion Post 15 Indians 17U earned a win in the finale of Tuesday’s doubleheader to start July off on the right foot.
After falling 3-2 in the opener of a doubleheader against the Lebo Royals, the Indians rebounded with a 4-1 victory thanks to a four-strikeout performance by reliever Thomas Allee.
Allee picked up the win while coming on in relief in the third inning as Lebo threatened Iola’s 2-1 lead.
Allee quieted those threats to hold on for the Indians’ seventh win and one game away from evening their record to .500.
The Indians jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning of Tuesday’s finale on an RBI grounder by outfielder Landon Shelton. The Indians extended their lead in their final at-bat on an RBI single from shortstop Austin Crooks, who later scored on an errant pitch to give Iola a 4-1 lead heading into Lebo’s final at-bat.
Allee closed out the game with three of his team-leading four strikeouts.
Iola nearly had a sweep Tuesday, but they came up short in their final at-bat in the opener to fall 3-2. Crooks took the loss despite an eight-strikeout, complete-game performance while allowing just three hits and three runs.
After going scoreless in the first three innings, shortstop Ty Shaughnessy put Iola on the scoreboard with an RBI single.
Lebo added another run in the fifth inning, but Iola matched them with a Crooks sacrifice fly — evening the score 2-2 — but that is as close as they would get in the opener.
Crooks and Shaughnessy tied for the team lead in RBIs with one each.
The Indians return to the diamond this weekend for the Mo-Kan Showdown in Topeka, but their tournament opponents were not made available at press time.
