EMPORIA — The Iola Mustangs hope to return to form as they wrap up the regular season this week after falling in Friday’s road doubleheader at Emporia, 5-4 and 8-4.
The Emporia Spartans capitalized on Iola’s mistakes, scoring on a game-winning wild pitch in extra innings in the first game. They then benefitting from steady production in the nightcap to take an 8-4 victory.
Senior Tre Wilson took the loss in the opener despite throwing a four-inning no-hitter with five strikeouts before ceding the mound to Austin Crooks in the fifth. Crooks held his own with three strikeouts, but six errors by the Mustang defense took its toll asEmporia tied the game in the seventh.
Crooks put Iola on the scoreboard with a third-inning RBI single, then junior second baseman Brock Michaels gave Iola a 2-0 advantage with a fourth-inning RBI single. Junior catcher Kale Pratt extended Iola’s lead with an RBI single in the fifth, then Wilson scored in the seventh to keep Iola ahead 4-3 before heading to extra innings.
Wilson was Iola’s leader in hits while successful in 3 of 5 at-bats, followed by Crooks and senior outfielder Jakolby Hill with two hits each.
THE MUSTANGS jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame of the nightcap, but with five errors, they could not keep up with the Spartans on the scoreboard. An RBI grounder by junior starting pitcher Jase Herrmann, followed by a Crooks RBI single seemed a promising start, but the Mustangs’ bats went silent until the fifth inning while Emporia benefited from a steady offense.
Wilson broke up the monotony in the fifth after scoring on a wild pitch, then Pratt plated Iola’s first RBI single since the opening frame with an RBI double, but it was not enough to pull the Mustangs back into contention. Pratt tied senior shortstop Nick Bauer for the team lead in hits as the pair were successful in 2 of 3 at-bats. Pratt tied Crooks and Herrmann for the team lead in RBIs with one each.
Making his return from a severe knee injury, senior pitcher Easton Weseloh took the loss while tallying three strikeouts over three innings and allowing four runs on no hits and six walks. Bauer relieved Weseloh in the fourth inning, tallying a pair of strikeouts while allowing four runs on five hits and two walks. Following the sweep, the Mustangs’ record fell to 11-5.
They return to the Pioneer League for the final week of the regular season, hosting Wellsville Tuesday before facing Santa Fe Trail on the road Friday.
First pitch for Tuesday’s games is 4 p.m. for the opener and 6 p.m. for the nightcap.
