The Iola Mustangs aim to end the regular season above .500 after last Friday’s split with the Emporia Spartans left them with a 9-9 record heading into the final week of play.
After opening Friday’s doubleheader against Emporia on the wrong end of a 14-2 blowout, the Mustangs found their footing in the finale and held fast for a 2-1 victory thanks to timely hitting and nearly flawless defense.
“Game one was pretty rough, and we got beat 14-2 because we didn’t show up,” Iola coach Chris Weide said. “The pitching wasn’t great, like Haidyn (Desmarteau) usually is and the defense wasn’t great. We were not aggressive at the plate.”
The Spartans scored nine unanswered runs in the opener before the Mustangs finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning with an RBI single.
Freshman first baseman Breighlynn Rutherford later drove in a run in the fifth with an RBI grounder, but that was all the offense Iola could muster.
Freshman pitcher Haidyn Desmarteau took the loss with a strikeout over six innings while allowing 14 runs on 17 hits and a walk.
Curry and Rutherford posted Iola’s only two RBIs, but the Mustangs were not lacking for hits as sophomore third baseman Addie Wacker, freshman first baseman Kailyn Rodriguez, freshman shortstop Kinzley Fountain and Curry had two hits each.
“After game one, I was a little bit nervous about game two, but we came out more focused,” Coach Weide said. “Kinzley threw a great game. She used her defense and made plays. Brooklyn (Holloway) stepped up and had some big hits. I moved her down in the lineup because we were struggling to get hits and she really stepped up.”
With Fountain on the mound, the Mustangs cut their defensive errors in half as the freshman guided them through seven innings while tallying three strikeouts and allowing only one run on four hits and a walk. She credited her defense for giving her the confidence to make a few gambles on the mound.
“We all picked each other up and had good attitudes as a whole,” Fountain said. “Nobody was down, and we had the mindset of just winning. I can throw pitches I don’t throw a lot because I know my teammates have my back.”
Trailing by a run heading into the bottom of the third inning, senior outfielder Faith Warden tied the game after reaching home on an infield error. Fountain and the defense kept Emporia off the scoreboard until the sixth inning, setting up junior outfielder Brooklyn Holloway to drive in the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly.
“In the first game, I didn’t care for the pitcher, but in the second game I knew I needed a hit and do something because I hadn’t been hitting the ball very well,” said Holloway, who was Iola’s team leader in hits and RBIs while perfect in 2 of 2 at-bats. “When you get up there relaxed and confident, you’re going to hit the ball. I was more relaxed and the team was hyped.”
After opening the season with only a handful of upperclassmen on the roster, the Mustangs may be ready for a Cinderella run in the postseason. Iola hosts Pioneer League foe Wellsville Tuesday. First pitch for the opener is at 4 p.m. with a 5:30 p.m. first pitch scheduled for the nightcap.
“Wellsville is one of the best teams in the league with juniors who can hit the ball well and some really good pitchers,” Coach Weide said. “We’re going to have to step up. It’s a big week.”
