Indians open season with tourney romp

OTTAWA — It took the Iola Post 15 AA Indians a while to hit high gear offensively Friday and Saturday.
But when they did, the Mustangs tasted plenty of success.
Iola, the defending state American Legion AA champion, opened the 2013 season with a 4-0 mark at a wooden bat tournament hosted by Ottawa.
Iola defeated Rock Creek, 6-3, West Franklin, 9-1, Girard, 13-5, and Ottawa, 9-1.
Iola trailed Rock Creek 3-1 before erupting for five runs in the top of the seventh. Nathan Whitcomb’s two-run double was the big blow of the frame. Derrick Weir, Eric Heffern and Jared Latta each had RBIs as well. Trent Latta’s bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning supplied Iola’s first run.
Whitcomb picked up the win in relief, allowing two hits and two walks in four innings, with six strikeouts. Aaron Barclay started, allowing two hits and three walks in three innings, with a strikeout.
Levi Ashmore had two singles, while Trent Latta, Mason Coons, Braden Larson, Jared Latta and Drew Faulhaber each had singles.

THERE WAS NO such drama in the West Franklin victory. Iola scored three in the first and four in the second.
Coons was dominant on the mound, allowing just three hits with six strikeouts in six innings of work.
Ashmore reached base in all five plate appearances, with a single, triple and three runs to spearhead the Indian offense. Larson singled twice. Adding singles were Trent Latta, Barclay, Coons, Weir, Jacob Rhoads, Jared Latta and Heffern. Coons had three RBIs.

IOLA POUNDED out 10 hits against Girard, scoring six in the second to overcome a 5-2 deficit. Iola added three in the fourth and two in the fifth for insurance.
Faulhaber got the win, allowing seven hits and three walks in four innings with a strikeout. Tyler Clubine pitched a hitless inning of relief with two strikeouts.
Larson was the hitting star with a single, triple, three runs and four RBIs. Every Indian starter scored at least once. Ashmore added two singles, as did Coons and Faulhaber. Jared Latta had a double. Whitcomb had a single.

A PITCHERS’ duel in the finale against Ottawa ended with an eight-run Indian explosion in the top of the fifth.
Ashmore led off the fifth with a a double. Coons delivered the tie-breaking hit, another double, to score Ashmore. Weir’s two-run double continued the onslaught. Jared Latta did the same with another two-base hit. Ashmore and Trent Latta drove in runs on a hit-by-pitch and walk, respectively, before Coons capped the scoring with a two-run single.
Trent Latta’s RBI double scored Ashmore in the third for Iola’s other run.
Trent Latta was the pitching star, allowing just two hits and four walks in five innings. He struck out five.
Coons had a single and double, as did Jared Latta. Ashmore, Trent Latta and Weir added one double each. Larson singled.

THE INDIANS are in Burlington tonight for a doubleheader before hosting Fort Scott Thursday.