Slowly but surely, Iola High’s softball team is rounding into a team opponents likely won’t want to see as the season progresses.
The Mustangs rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth to erase a 5-3 Prairie View lead to stun the Buffalos, 6-5, in their opener.
Alas Prairie View — which has two players already committed to play collegiately next season — jumped ahead quickly in game two. Iola again rallied late, but drew no closer than the final 6-3 score.
Nevertheless, Iola’s grit and determination has become evident, head coach Chris Weide said.
“Prairie View has been the best team in our league the last five or six years,” Weide said. “For us to battle back like that was great.”
Even better, Iola utilized a teamwork approach, with key contributions up and down the lineup.
The winning rally began with singles by Chloe Sell and Harper Desmarteau to lead off the sixth. Jadyn Kaufman’s RBI grounder sent courtesy runner Elza Clift home to make it 5-4 with two outs.
Asyha Houk singled in Desmarteau to tie the score, and Reece Murry’s single put runners on first and second. Both runners promptly stole third and second, respectively, before Houk scurried home on a passed ball to give Iola the lead.
Murry took it from there, retiring the Buffalos in order in the seventh inning to seal the win.
“The girls are getting a little more confident, and they’re feeding off each other,” Weide said.
Meanwhile, Murry faced off against perhaps the strongest lineup she’ll see this season, Weide noted.
The Buffalos are led by standouts Rylee Boone, who will play at Western Illinois University, an NCAA Division I school, and Braxton Stainbrook, who signed with Neosho County Community College.
“They’re pretty amazing over there,” Weide said. “And Reece kept battling.”
To wit, Prairie View’s Julia Paisley and Murry put forth a remarkable battle with two outs in the top of the third, in which Paisley fouled off nine pitches before reaching via a walk. Paisley then stole second and third before Murry struck out the aforementioned Stainbrook to end the threat.
Prairie View scored twice in the top of the fourth to break the scoreless deadlock, and looked to break the game open by loading the bases with nobody out.
But Desmarteau made the defensive play of the game with a diving catch of Ella McCammon’s line drive to left field, and returned the ball to the infield quickly enough to prevent a stunned Kaylyne Gregg from scoring from third.
