Iola High’s Mustangs took it to the brink Tuesday, as both games of a doubleheader against visiting Prairie View came down to the last batters.
In the opener, the Buffalos rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh inning, to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 victory before Iola returned the favor with Derrick Weir’s walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh inning of the nightcap for a 2-1 win.
The split keeps Iola’s record even on the season at 4-4. The Mustangs are at 4-2 in Pioneer League action.
“It was a couple of good pitchers’ duels, but we still need to play better,” Iola head coach Mark Percy said.
The opener was a bitter pill to swallow as the Mustangs held a 4-3 lead behind Weir’s pitching.
Kaleb Konitzer’s leadoff homer in the seventh tied the score before Tommy Thayer reached on a Mustang error and came around to score on a wild pitch.
The Mustangs didn’t go quietly, however.
Thealvin Minor and Ethan Sigg both worked for walks to put runners on first and second with nobody out. But pinch runner Ben Cooper was called out on a controversial call on a Buffalo pickoff attempt.
The Mustang coaches protested to no avail.
“We were going to put on a bunt to get the runners to second and third, but the pickoff changed everything,” Percy said.
An infield pop-up and a ground ball ended the game.
“Half our lineup is struggling with the bats,” Percy said.
Trailing 1-0, Iola rallied for two runs with two out in the bottom of the third. Trent Latta, Drew Faulhaber, Weir and Ethan Scheibmeir put together consecutive singles, with Faulhaber and Scheibmeir collecting RBIs.
Prairie View responded with two in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead before Iola retook the upper hand in the fifth. Faulhaber and Weir were both hit by pitches and advanced to second and third on a Buffalo error. Sigg’s single drove both home for a 4-3 lead.
Weir surrendered eight hits with five strikeouts.
Latta singled twice, as did Weir. Faulhaber, Scheibmeir and Sigg had one single each.
