Chris Heffern and the Iola High Mustangs made the visiting Labette County High Grizzlies pay for an error in the bottom of the eighth inning.
In Tuesday’s opening game, Iola had battled back to tie it 3-3 in the sixth. The Mustangs almost got the win in the regulation seven innings but a great diving catch by a Labette County outfielder forced extra innings.
Chris Heffern reached on an infield error by Labette County in the bottom of the eighth. Ryan Latta used a sacrifice bunt to move Heffern to second.
Corey Taylor’s base hit put runners at the corners. Clint Heffern, Chris’ younger brother, drove in the winning run with a single.
“It was a pretty good game. We were sound defensively, except in the fourth when they scored three runs and we had two errors and three walks issued,” said Mark Percy, Mustang head coach.
Connor Frazell started on the mound for Iola but left after four innings of work. He had allowed three runs on three walks, all in the fourth, and struck out four.
Clint Heffern came on and shutout the Grizzlies in four innings. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out three to earn the victory.
“We had clutch hitting at the end and Clint did an excellent job coming in and pitching the last four innings,” Percy said.
Iola scored a run in the first and another one in the fourth to make it 3-2. The Mustangs produced the tying run in the sixth much the same way they did the winning run.
Jerrik Sigg reached on an error, used a wild pitch to go to second and went to third on a ground-out by Chris Heffern. Ryan Latta, who had three singles in the game, drove in the tying run on a base hit.
Iola had 13 hits — all singles “because the wind was blowing so strong there weren’t many extra base hits in the game. But we hit the ball pretty well all night,” Percy said.
Clint Heffern had three singles. Levi Ashmore and Taylor each had two. Frazell, Chris Heffern and Mason Coons each had a single.
Percy said the second game had no real flow to it for the Mustangs.
“We gave up too many walks and hit batters and we made quite a few errors,” Percy said.
Labette County climbed to a 5-0 lead after two innings. Iola scored twice in the third and three more in the fifth but trailed 7-5 and finally lost 10-6.
The Grizzlies produced a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Iola scored a run in the seventh.
Iola had 13 hits again. Ashmore led the way with three while Chris Heffern and Braden Larson each had two.
Hitting a single apiece were R. Latta, Sigg, Taylor, Clint Heffern, Coons and Devon Conner.
Sigg started for the Mustangs, going two innings and allowing five runs on three hits, three walks and a hit batter plus striking out three. Taylor worked 11⁄3 innings, giving up two runs on one hit batter and no hits.
Chris Heffern pitched 11⁄3 innings, allowing no runs on two hits and one walk with two strikeouts. Ashmore pitched the final 21⁄3 innings, surrendering three runs on four hits, one walk and one hit batter.
“We did some great things during the two games considering how young we are and how little on-field practice time we’ve had,” Percy said.
“We made good contact all night at the plate. We just need to have our pitchers pitch ahead of the hitters with strikes and make plays in the field.”
Iola is 1-1 overall and in Southeast Kansas League. It travels to Coffeyville Thursday for a SEK doubleheader.
Mustangs rally to win first game, lose second
