WAMEGO — Only a few schools get to end the 2022 softball season with a victory.
Iola High’s squad had the next best thing.
The Mustangs played valiantly before bowing out of the postseason with a 3-0 setback at the hands of top-seeded and top-ranked Wamego in the Class 4A Regional Championship Wednesday.
The loss, however, is but a small part of the wondrous day of action, head coach Chris Weide said, that included a thrilling 3-0 win over Fort Scott, in which Iola broke open a scoreless deadlock with three runs in the top of the seventh.
“That was one of the most exciting games I’ve coached,” Weide said. “Obviously, you go through the whole season and want to win every game. But what you hope and pray for is to be playing your best at the end of the season. I thought we did that.”
Wednesday’s showdowns were a fitting conclusion for senior pitcher Reece Murry, who went the distance in both games.
She shut down Fort Scott’s offense entirely, striking out 13, while allowing just three hits.
She twice stranded Tiger runners at third base, in the second and fifth innings, ending both with strikeouts.
But while Iola had plenty of baserunners throughout, the Mustangs also struggled to bring anybody home.
Iola left runners on second and third in the top of the first, left the bases loaded in the fourth and then came up empty after loading the bases with nobody out in the sixth.
“I’m sure we were all a little frustrated,” Weide said. “Any time you get runners in scoring position, but can’t get them home, it’s tough.”
That changed when Murry started the top of the seventh with a single. Jenna Curry followed with a bunt that turned into a Tiger throwing error, allowing Murry to score all the way from first.
“Jenna made a great bunt there,” Weide said.
Fort Scott retired the next two Mustang batters, but Maci Miller reached base on a grounder to shortstop, setting the stage for Elza Clift, who caught Fort Scott off guard with a bunt single to the pitcher, scoring Curry. Miah Shelby followed with another perfectly placed squeeze bunt to chase home Miller for the third run.
The Tigers had one last chance to pull even. An error and infield hit brought the tying run to the plate with nobody out.
But Murry retired the next batter with a fly ball, then struck out the next two batters — after the Tiger base runners had stolen second and third — to seal the win.
