The Iola Mustangs continue to experience adversity after falling in their fourth consecutive game with Friday’s 4-3, 13-1 sweep by the 5A Emporia Spartans.
After coming up a run short of taking the opener into extra innings, the Mustangs received a drubbing in the finale as Emporia cruised to victory.
“Game one was really good. Grady (Dougherty) threw really well,” Iola coach Levi Ashmore said. “The guy we faced (Madden Seidl) was really good and going to pitch in college next year. He probably pitched harder than anyone we’ve seen. We battled and gave ourselves a chance.”
In the opener, Iola broke a 0-0 stalemate with an RBI single from sophomore outfielder Jase Herrmann, followed by an RBI double from junior catcher Tre Wilson.
An Emporia four-run seventh inning proved to be the difference-maker as the Spartans took the lead heading into the Mustangs’ final at-bat. A Herrmann RBI single pulled Iola within a run, but they could not capitalize on a Wilson intentional walk.
“It was hard to reset after game one,” Ashmore said. “We got off to a slow start in game two and never recovered. It’s awesome for our guys to prove what they’re capable of and we always make our schedule harder so we’re battle-tested going into the postseason. It gets tough when it’s on the back end of your schedule.”
In game one, Dougherty took the loss on the mound despite tallying five strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings while allowing one walk and one earned run. Herrmann had a team-leading two RBIs, followed by Wilson with one.
The finale seemed a reversal of fortunes as Herrmann took the loss while Dougherty ended with Iola’s only RBI with a third-inning single.
With the losses, the Mustangs fell to 12-6 overall. They will put their 10-0 Pioneer League record on the line Tuesday against Wellsville. Although stepping down a few classes from 5A Emporia to their customary 3A opponents, Ashmore said Wellsville is not a team to overlook.
“We started at 10-0, and we look up and we’re 12-6 now,” Ashmore said. “It makes it tough for regional seeding. You have to find the balance of keeping team morale while not losing too many games in a short period of time. We hit a little bit of a skid, but we have to get rolling again.”
First pitches for Tuesday’s doubleheader are 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
