BURLINGTON — The conditions in Burlington were not exactly conducive to hitting on Tuesday night and that was reflected in the scores as the Mustangs and Wildcats exchanged 3-2 victories in their season-opening doubleheader.
“We weren’t playing our best baseball, so it was huge to at least pick up one game,” Iola senior Ben Cooper said.
Iola pushed across one run in the first inning of game one, but Burlington responded with two runs before Iola sophomore Derek Bycroft could settle into his rhythm in the first inning. Then the conditions and pitchers took over and neither team scored until the top of the sixth when Ethan Tavarez singled to score Bycroft and tie the game at 2-2.
Bycroft shut the Wildcats down in the sixth inning and the teams went to the seventh tied at two.
The Mustangs were unable to score in the top of the seventh and with Bycroft nearing the new state pitch-count limit, Iola coach Mark Percy was forced to take Bycroft out of the game.
Percy turned to Tavarez, who had caught the previous six innings.
Tavarez couldn’t find his command early and walked the bases loaded with nobody out.
The junior responded with a strikeout to restore some hope for the Mustangs, but Burlington got a walk-off single from its next batter.
The Mustangs responded well in game two behind Cooper’s arm.
“That is the best I’ve pitched this year, it is better than any practice so far,” Cooper said.
Iola scored one run in the first and two in the second inning to jump out to an early and Cooper was able to shut Burlington out through the first three innings.
The Wildcats scratched across a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to draw within one run and with Cooper tiring, Percy turned to his bullpen.
“His arm isn’t ready yet, he hasn’t thrown enough to pitch more,” Percy said. “When he was finishing up, I was keeping my eye on him and he said he was done.”
Darius Greenawalt pitched the sixth and retired the Wildcats in order with a trio of ground balls to second baseman Blake Ashmore.
Percy brought Greenawalt back out for the seventh, but after recording a strikeout, the senior allowed a pair of walks and Percy went back to the bullpen again and brought in freshman Cal Leonard to close the game.
“I didn’t think it was much pressure,” Leonard said. “I just had to come in and throw strikes.”
Leonard got the second out on a ground ball to Bycroft at third, who was able to flip to an alert Kane Rogers, who hustled over from his spot at shortstop to record the out.
Leonard walked the next batter to load the bases, but was able to induce a ground ball to Rogers to seal the 3-2 victory and record a save.
PITCHER’S PARADISE: Mustangs split with Wildcats in low-scoring season opener
