The Iola Post 15 Indians 17U team split a Monday doubleheader with the Post 48 Muddogs of Garnett to open the summer season.
The Indians took the opener, 11-9, but fell, 7-2, in the finale.
After acting as a reliever for much of the high school baseball season, pitcher Austin Crooks made the most of his first summer start while tallying five strikeouts over five innings to pick up his first win and drove in a team-leading three RBIs.
Crooks put the Indians on the scoreboard after stealing home in the first inning, then drove in a pair of runs in the second inning, followed by an RBI single from second baseman Ty Shaughnessy to give Post 15 a 4-1 advantage after the second frame.
Post 15 extended its lead to 7-2. An RBI single by outfielder Landon Shelton, an RBI triple by Crooks and another steal at home by first baseman Kolton Hanson gave the Indians a seemingly insurmountable 11-4 lead but Post 48 rallied to within a pair of runs before Hanson brought the contest to an end with a strikeout with the tying run at the plate.
Hanson ended the opener with the team-lead in hits while batting 4 of 5 with a pair of runs and an RBI. Shaughnessy had three hits. Crooks and Shelton had two.
A four-run second inning and three runs in the third made all the difference in the finale as Post 15 sustained its first loss of the season. With the contest limited to five innings, pitcher Thomas Allee took the loss with three strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings while Brock Michael came on in relief for a pair of strikeouts.
Allee put the Indians on the scoreboard with a two-RBI single in the fourth inning, but that was all the offensive production Post 15 could muster. Shaughnessy ended the finale with the team-lead in hits after picking up a pair, followed by Crooks, Hanson and Allee, who had one each.
Post 15 15U swept by Curve
The Post 15 15U Indians continue searching for their first win after falling in a Sunday double header 31-0, 16-0.
Kole Walter took the loss in the opener while tallying a trio of strikeouts over 2⅔ innings pitched. Outfielder Max Disbrow registered the Indians only hit.
Although the score was a bit closer in the finale, the result remained the same. B Jeuthly took the loss while registering a strikeout. Keithly also tied Lane Lord for the team-lead in hits with one each.
