High School Softball: Mustangs 4, Wildcats 1; Mustangs 17, Wildcats 11
On Friday night, the Iola baseball team walked away from their home field in Riverside Park winners of 15-straight games and none were as exciting as their 17-11 win over the Wildcats to close out the series.
That comes with due apologies to the first game of the series, a 4-1 win over Burlington and what seemed, for the first four innings of game two anyway, to be a tone-setter.
Senior Isaac Vink tossed a great game versus a Burlington team thats most likely bound for state. He allowed just one run on seven hits and a walk while striking out eight Wildcats. He nearly pitched the whole game and most likely wouldve if his pitch count hadnt run out with one out to go in the top of the seventh.
Derek Bycroft had two hits and Cal Leonard hit both his and the teams first home runs of the season.
It was a good game. However, it was nothing compared to the nearly three-hour 17-11whopper that followed.
The Mustangs seemed destined for another run-rule win after three innings. Iola led 12-0 after an eight-run third inning. Leonard had his second dinger of the game and things seemed well on the way to a quick finish.
We finally had a night where it wasnt blowing 40 mph, Percy said on Leonards home runs. Honestly, Im surprised more werent hit. His first one was nice but that second one was ripped and thats what I like to see. Thats fun. I want us to hit more of those.
However, junior starter Kane Rogers began to tire.
The Mustangs came into the series shorthanded. Their top three arms were all used up after the Wellsville series and Vinks performance in game one. Senior Ethan Tavarez was still out and unable to help.
Despite needing just three outs in the top of the fifth to end the game at 12-2, Rogers got dinged for eight total runs in the fourth and fifth innings and ended up allowing seven earned runs on eight hits with two walks and a strikeout. He also gave up a home run.
Sophomore Calvin Delich came out in the sixth to try and calm the waters but three unearned-runs crossed in the sixth and the Mustangs 12- run lead dropped to just one.
We just lost our focus, Percy said. We were doing stuff that we normally didnt do. We were making mistakes we normally didnt make. They hit the ball and we didnt make some plays. Kane pitched real well but you could tell he was getting tired. We probably shouldve pulled him earlier.
But just like theyve done all season, Iola found runs when they most needed them. The Mustangs got across five hits including a big triple by Delich to push their lead out to 17-11.
Percy sent freshman Nathan Louk out to the mound in the top of the sixth to hopefully put a clamp on the game.
In his first varsity pitching appearance of the season, Louk allowed just a walk as he struck out one and made the other two batters hit into walks.
