WELLSVILLE — The Iola Mustangs and Santa Fe Trail Chargers will play a winner-take-all doubleheader to determine the Pioneer League champion next week.
Tuesday’s 5-4, 12-9 sweep of the Wellsville Eagles put the Mustangs in the driver’s seat for the Pioneer League title as they host Santa Fe Tuesday following a Friday non-conference game at Coffeyville.
“If we sweep them, then we win it out right. If they sweep us, then they win it,” Iola coach Chris Weide said. “If we split, then we share it. I texted the girls and coaches today that if we take care of businesses in Wellsville, then Tuesday is going to be a lot of fun.”
In the opener, the Eagles’ aggressive offense could not overcome costly defensive errors as Iola pulled away in the fourth and fifth innings. While Wellsville struggled, Iola’s offense was nearly flawless and required sophomore pitcher Zoie Hesse to throw only one strikeout in the complete-game victory to pick up the win.
“These close games pay off in regionals. You would love to run-rule everybody, but it’s not going to happen,” Weide said. “Getting a good experience like this against a good team puts us in a good spot when we do get into close competitions during regionals.”
As Iola’s defense stiffened, its batters needed little time for acclimation. Iola jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the opening frame on a three-run homer by senior catcher Reese Curry. Senior shortstop Elza Clift, senior third baseman Harper Desmarteau, Hesse and Curry pushed their lead to 6-1 on, respectively, an RBI triple, double, an error on a pop fly and a double to build an insurmountable lead.
Wellsville chipped away at Iola’s lead with three runs in the sixth inning. It was not enough to overcome the seven runs in the fourth inning generated off RBIs from senior outfielder Kyndall Bycroft and Hesse, as well as fifth-inning homers from Hesse and Clift.
Curry ended the opener with a team-leading four RBIs, followed by Clift’s three and Hesse’s two. Clift and Hesse also tied for the team lead in hits with three each, which is one of the reasons why Coach Weide believes he has one of the best 1-2 pitching combinations in 3A softball.
“I was really proud of Elza. Early, she struggled. She had three walks in the first inning,” Weide said. “Thinking back, she probably had a few in the second inning, but she battled all night. When she found her groove, she hit her spots well and used her defense.”
As Clift took the mound in the finale of Tuesday’s doubleheader, Hesse focused her efforts on batting, hitting a pair of home runs, including a go-ahead homer in the fifth inning.
When Wellsville jumped out to a 4-0 lead, Clift found her footing to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard the remaining five innings. Clift tallied six strikeouts in the complete-game effort, allowing three hits, four runs and six walks.
“I threw pitches they could put in play, but not hard, because I’m so confident in my defense,” Clift said. “I had good form and didn’t get in my head and try and rush my pitches. I really paid attention to every batter and what they swung at before.”
A two-run Hesse homer put Iola on the scoreboard, then an error forced on a Bycroft line drive plated a pair of runners to tie the game 4-4. 
Hesse struck again in the fifth with the go-ahead homer, leaving Clift and the defense responsible for hanging on to the 5-4 win.
Hesse accounted for all three of Iola’s RBIs while hitting in 2 of 4 at-bats. Clift hit in 2 of 3 opportunities.
“I just wanted to put the ball in play and have other people hit me around,” said Hesse, who passed her aunt, Jenna (Sigg) Hesse, for the IHS record for most career home runs and home runs in a season last Friday.
