The Iola Mustangs advanced to the regional semifinals after shutting out Anderson County 7-0 before an incoming thunderstorm canceled the remaining two innings of the contest.
Pitcher Zoie Hesse was en route to a perfect game before Mother Nature stepped in as the sophomore tallied eight strikeouts before officials delayed the game following a nearby lightning strike, then called the game when torrential rains began.
“Zoie was Zoie tonight. She threw really well. She ended up with a perfect game and several strikeouts,” Iola coach Chris Weide said. “She was really hitting her spots. Senior catcher Reese Curry did a great job behind the plate too.”
The Mustangs quickly took control with a four-run first inning. Senior third baseman Harper Desmarteau picked up the first of her team-leading two RBIs while putting the Mustangs on the scoreboard with an RBI double in the opening frame. A Hesse follow-up double drove in Desmarteau, then Hesse and sophomore outfielder Brooklyn Holloway gave Iola a 4-0 advantage after reaching home on errant pitches.
“They came in with the right mindset and did a really good job defensively. It seemed like they were ready on every pitch,” Weide said.
Iola added three more runs after senior speedster Baylie Crooks reached home on another errant pitch while pinch running in the third inning. Iola flirted with a mercy rule as the Mustangs pulled within striking distance of a 10-run lead on an RBI triple by senior shortstop Elza Clift and an RBI single from Desmarteau, who also tied Clift for the team lead in hits with two each.
While RBIs stand out on the stat sheet, Weide believes intangible aspects such as Crook’s heads-up running on the base paths and Holloway’s intelligence in the batter’s box put Iola in position for the win.
“Elza did a great job in the lead off spot and getting us going,” Weide said. “Brooklyn, laid down a perfect bunt. It was a sacrifice but with her athleticism and speed she was safe. One through nine, I thought we did great.”
Officials delayed the game during Anderson County’s fifth-inning at-bat, and called it as Monday’s storms rolled through, inundating the town. Iola will face the winner of the rescheduled contest between three seed Jayhawk-Linn (14-6) and sixth seed Fredonia (5-11), which officials rescheduled to Tuesday. Although not entirely ruling out a Fredonia victory, Weide said he did extensive research on Jayhawk-Linn and believes his team has what it takes to advance to the tournament championship Wednesday.
“They’re solid. That’s for sure. They have good bats up and down the line up. It will be a good contest for us.”
