CHANUTE — The Iola American Legion Post 15 Indians wrapped up the regular season in novel fashion after taking third place at the Chanute Wood Bat Tournament over the weekend inside Santa Fe Park.
After edging Chanute Post 170 to open the tournament Saturday, the Indians fell to the Garnett Post 48 Muddogs 9-1, then opened Sunday with a 13-5 loss to the Pittsburg Post 64 Silverbacks before ending the tournament on a high note with a 5-3 victory over Chanute.
“We didn’t have our best stuff this weekend pitching-wise, and in that last game on defense, but I’m hoping we can get some practice in this week for the following week’s state tournament,” Post 15 coach T.J. Taylor said. “We just need to get the kinks worked out so we can have four straight wins and win the whole thing. That’s what I’m hoping for.”
In the opener against Chanute, Moran catcher Dominic Smith drove in the eventual game winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 5-4 victory. Iola starting pitcher Kale Pratt picked up the win with a team-leading four strikeouts over five innings while allowing five runs on four hits and seven walks. Iola reliever Broden Emerson picked up the save after closing the game without allowing a hit in the seventh inning.
Iola outfielder Grady Dougherty put the Indians on the scoreboard with an RBI single in the opening frame, but Chanute responded with all four of their runs in the second inning. A third inning two-RBI single by Melvern shortstop Dalton Lingenfelter chipped away at Chanute’s lead, then a fifth-inning Pratt RBI single in the fifth tied the contest 4-4.
In the Indians’ final at-bat, Humboldt third baseman Ty Shaughnessy’s double kicked off the rally. A sacrifice bunt by Iola second baseman Broderick Michael moved Shaughnessy to third, then Smith’s single drove him home for the winner.
With a single swing, Lingenfelter ended the opener as Post 15’s RBI leader with three, followed by Dougherty, Smith and Pratt added one each. Moran outfielder Tyler Lord and Shaughnessy tied for the team lead in hits as the pair were perfect in 3 of 3 at-bats. Pratt had two hits.
“Wood bats make a great divide between your veteran players and the guys who get a lot of help with the big barrels and the BBCOR,” Dougherty said. “I’ve been playing with wood bats in Kansas City all summer, so this was natural for me.”
The Indians could not generate enough run support to keep them in reach of the Muddogs in the final game slated for Saturday. Garnett jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the second inning, then added four in the fourth and two in the sixth. Dougherty took the loss after allowing seven runs on four hits and seven walks. He tallied six strikeouts before exiting in the fourth inning for Lord, who held Garnett to just a pair of runs on two hits.
Dougherty also drove in the Indians’ only RBI of the game with a sixth-inning double. Pratt and Lord also had one hit
The Indians’ woes continued into Sunday with a 13-5 loss to Pittsburg. Iola spotted Pittsburg an early 4-0 lead before the Indians erupted for five runs in the third to take the lead. But Iola could not hold off nine unanswered Pittsburg runs in the Indians’ second loss of the tournament.
Colony outfielder Henry White’s bunt put the Indians on the scoreboard, then Lord followed with an RBI single. The next at-bat, Lingenfelter cut the Silverbacks’ advantage to a run, then Pratt gave the Indians the lead with a two RBI single. Pratt’s final swing landed him the team lead in RBIs with two, followed by Lord, Lingenfelter and White with one each. White also had two hits while perfect in 2 of 2 at-bats.
Shaughnessy got the start, tallying the Indians’ only strikeout while allowing four runs on a hit and six walks. Lingenfelter took the loss after allowing four runs on two hits and two walks. Smith closed out the contest by allowing five runs on three hits and four walks.
The Indians did not stay down for long as only hours later they returned rejuvenated against rival Chanute. With Lord pitching a shutout for the majority of the consolation final, the Indians scored five in the opening frame as they took third place with a 5-3 win over Post 170.
Lord made his presence known on the mound and on the base paths as he put Iola on the scoreboard after reaching home on a wild pitch. A pitcher’s battle ensued from there as Lord more than held up his end with five strikeouts while allowing three runs on four hits, two walks with the majority of Chanute’s production coming in the later innings.
A fourth-inning bases-loaded walk gave Iola a 2-0 advantage, which quickly moved to 3-0 after a White grounder plated another runner. Lord’s two-run double pushed the lead to 5-0, which was all they needed as Lord maintained his composure despite late pressure from Chanute.
