The Iola Mustangs remain in the hunt for one of the top seeds in the upcoming regional tournament after splitting Wednesday’s doubleheader in a pair of nailbiters against the Wellsville Eagles.
After falling in the opener in extra innings 4-1, the Mustangs rebounded to take the nightcap thanks to timely hitting and clever running on the base paths.
“It took a little spark from Nick Bauer and Tre Wilson at the end, but it helps when your pitcher is throwing strikes,” Iola coach Lake Johnson said.
Looking to bounce back from last Friday’s sweep, the Mustangs seemed primed for their own sweep in the first game, jumping out to an early lead on a sacrifice fly by senior outfielder Jackolby Hill. Iola’s bats went silent after that as both teams went scoreless over the next 10 innings until a few late miscues proved too costly for the Mustangs to overcome.
Bauer took the loss but had a strong night on the mound, combining for 13 strikeouts with junior starter Jase Herrmann and Wilson. Herrmann posted four strikeouts before a quartet of walks made for an early night. Wilson posted eight strikeouts over six innings of relief. Bauer posted a pair of strikeouts over four innings on the mound. 
AFTER DEPLETING much of their bullpen in the opening game, the Mustangs needed some stability on the mound in the nightcap as they looked to preserve a few arms for Friday’s Pioneer League finale against Santa Fe Trail. Junior Austin Crooks offered all that and more with a nine-strikeout, complete game effort.
“Austin threw a complete game and kept them under 70 pitches. He kept us in it the whole time, and that was just what we needed,” Johnson said.
Crooks also got the Mustangs going in the opening frame with an RBI single. After giving up runs in the second and third innings, Hill tied the game while attempting to steal third base as the ensuing throw careened into the outfield. It seemed just the spark Iola was looking for, as Wilson followed it up with a base-clearing triple.
“It was smart base running; we go over it almost every day in practice,” Hill said. “I had to be smart, but it was exciting. I tied it and it just brought the mood up. It was very important.”
An RBI double by Herrmann added an insurance run, but after losing a close first game Iola wanted nothing left to chance. Crooks forced a pair of groundouts and a popout to secure the victory.
“Everything felt good today,” said Crooks, who allowed just two runs on five hits and two walks. “I felt like I was in a good rhythm. The ball was releasing out of my hand well, and I felt like I was pushing off well.”
With the win, the Mustangs record improved to 12-6. They’re out of the running for the Pioneer League title with Burlington likely to finish league play undefeated, but they remain in the hunt for one of the top seeds in the upcoming regional tournament.
Santa Fe Trail is in Iola’s regional bracket, and a win Friday would dramatically improve the likelihood Iola gets one of those top seeds. Yet for Johnson, pitching remains a major concern even with strong performances from all four of Iola’s pitchers Wednesday.
“We ‘re a little worried about our arm situation right now,” Johnson said. “We’re probably going to go out in game one with Kale Pratt to see what arms we have left. We’d like to get two more wins on Friday.”
