Through six innings on Tuesday night, the Mustang offense had 18 outs and no runs as they trailed Wellsville 2-0 going into the bottom of the seventh. In the seventh, they flipped that ratio on its head.
Junior Isaac Vink got the inning started by knocking a single into right field.
Senior Ben Cooper hit an 0-2 pitch to the shortstop, who attempted to throw to second to get the force-out on Vink. Instead, the throw sailed past the second baseman. That error proved to be the opening the Mustangs needed.
“You have to take advantage of that,” Iola coach Mark Percy said. “And we did.”
With Vink advancing to third on the error, freshman Calvin Delich executed a squeeze-play down the third-base line and everyone was safe with Vink scoring, Cooper at third — after stealing second — and Delich on first.
“When he is batting from the left side, he does a really good job of putting it down that third-base line,” Percy said. “With his speed, I knew he would have a chance.”
After Delich stole second, Iola sophomore Derek Bycroft singled to tie the game and move the game-winning run and the team’s fastest player to within 90 feet of the plate with Delich on third and no one out.
Senior Coleson Wiggin made sure that there was no need for Delich to have to show off that speed. The first baseman singled into right field and the Mustangs were able to walk-off for the series-opening win.
“I was just looking to hit the ball,” Wiggin said. “Put the ball in play somewhere and score a run.”
Bycroft pitched for the Mustangs in game one and was perfect through his first eight batters, but trouble struck with two outs in the third.
Wellsville’s Dawson Donovan hit a bleeder that rolled through the middle of the infield and then Zach Vance singled to left field before Kobe Channel hit a blooper into right-center field which dropped before centerfielder Vink, rightfielder Delich or second baseman Blake Ashmore could get to it.
The doink base-hit scored two and gave Wellsville the 2-0 lead it would carry into the seventh.
“Derek pitched well,” Percy said. “Both runs came on a blooper with two outs.”
After Bycroft gave up a hit to open the fourth, he through four no-hit innings to finish the game.
“It is a great time,” Wiggin said about playing defense behind Bycroft. “He pitches well and it is a low-scoring game every time he is out there.”
Bycroft finished with four hits allowed with no walks and six strikeouts to earn the 3-2 victory.
“The great thing about our team is that our defense and pitching has kept us in it all year,” Percy said.
Wiggin, Vink and Kane Rogers each had two hits for Iola.
GAME TWO
While Wiggin played the role of the hero for game one on Senior Night, no such heroics were needed in game two, because Cooper had his own Senior Night to remember.
Cooper pitched his best game of the season with his first seven-inning complete game and shutout the Eagles in route to a 5-0 win.
“It felt really good,” Cooper said. “They are a really good team and it was great to sweep them.”
After both teams were unable to capitalize on scoring chances in the first inning and Wellsville again squandered a chance in the second, the Mustangs again got their clutch hitting going in the second.
Junior Ethan Tavarez led off with a double to deep left-center.
Rogers sacrificed him to third and Cooper helped himself by driving in Tavarez with a single to right field.
After Delich sacrificed to put runners on second and third, Bycroft hit a double to left-center that may have been out at Riverside Park, but at McLean Field, he happily settled for a two-out, two-run double and Iola had a 3-0 lead.
The Mustangs got their insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth when freshman Cal Leonard walked and Tavarez singled to left to get the inning rolling with one out.
After Rogers reached to load the bases, Vink hit into a fielder’s choice which plated the Leonard.
Cooper helped himself again with a single to score Tavarez, but the inning ended when the umpire ruled that Cooper turned for second and Wellsville tagged him out.
The run still counted, but the ruling prevented the inning from continuing. Percy argued the call vigorously after the inning with both umpires.
Despite that misfortune, Cooper had plenty of runs to work with and cruised to the 5-0 victory.
Cooper finished the game with six hits allowed, one walk and six strikeouts.
“The good thing about Ben is that he throws different from Derek,” Percy said. “He throws different speeds from Derek and his changeup and curveball are a little different from Derek’s so when he is throwing those pitches for strikes or even close to the strike zone, they don’t know what is coming next. He keeps batters off balance really well.
“We played good defense behind him, but a lot of those were hit of the end of the bat or off the hands, because he does a good job of working it in and out.”
Cooper threw 85 pitches, which is a huge positive for the Mustangs who monitor his pitch counts more carefully than they do some of their other starters.
“My arm feels really good and I am ready to go complete games now,” Cooper said.
Cooper and Tavarez each had two hits to lead the Mustangs.
“Wellsville was ahead of us in the standings with only two losses going in so it was huge to take two,” Cooper said. “We are always battling each other for league supremacy.”
LEAGUE STANDINGS
Osawatomie clinched the Pioneer League title on Tuesday night by sweeping Prairie View, Iola sits one game back in second, but the Trojans have completed all their league games.
SOFTBALL
Wellsville and Iola’s softball game was postponed. No makeup date has been announced yet, but there is a possibility, it could be made up on Saturday. Follow the Iola Register on Facebook for the latest on a potential makeup game.
UP NEXT
Iola will wrap up its regular season on Tuesday when they travel to Santa Fe Trail.
