| Register/Jocelyn Sheets A clean pickup by Iola High third baseman Braden Larson comes as a Parsons High base runner heads for the bag. Larson threw out the batter at first base in a 7-2 junior varsity win here Tuesday. |
Win one. Lose one. It’s par for the course in junior varsity competition.
Iola High’s Mustang junior varsity split a doubleheader against Southeast Kansas League opponent Parsons High. The Mustangs won 7-0 in the first five-inning contest then lost 10-9, also in five innings, to the visiting Vikings
“Our young guys are being aggressive at the plate. I really like the way we’re swinging the bat and battling at the plate,” said Mark Percy, Mustang head coach.
“In the first game, Jarred Latta pitched well. We hit the ball and scored runs. In the second game, we just made too many errors defensively.”
Also Iola’s youngsters ran themselves out of a possible tying run twice in the bottom of the fifth inning. Down 10-7, Iola got back-to-back singles by Braden Larson and Shelton Reno in the second game.
Tyler Tomlinson doubled in two runs but was tagged out trying to stretch the hit to a triple. Michael Anderson singled and was at third base with two gone. Anderson got caught in a rundown on an attempted steal and was tagged out.
“Tyler was hustling and Michael’s inexperience in the situations showed. But the kids are learning and getting better,” Percy said.
Tyler Clubine had a two-run triple for Iola in the fourth inning when the Mustangs scored five runs to take a 7-5 lead. Parsons scored five runs in its half of the fifth.
Reno had two singles. Clubine also had a single. Larson threw three innings, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks plus struck out five. Reno pitched two innings, surrendering eight runs on five hits and two walks with one strikeout.
Latta picked up the pitching victory in the opener. He limited the Vikings to four hits, walked two and struck out eight.
Iola scored five runs in the first and two in the second. Larson had two doubles and Clubine hit a single and a double.
Hitting a single each for Iola were Eric Heffern, Reno and Tomlinson.
