HUMBOLDT — Humboldt fans were placed in an interesting position on Tuesday at the Humboldt Sports Complex.
Several top players from the Cub varsity baseball team faced off against each other as Iola’s American Legion squad squared off with Chanute.
Iola started Humboldt players Lance Daniels and Daylon Splane, while Chanute had a third of its starting lineup made up of Humboldt players with Jake Haviland, Corey Whitcomb and Rhett Smith.
“It is a unique experience to have kids on each side who know each other. It makes it a little more friendly,” Iola coach Scott Riebel said. “I know the Chanute-Iola rivalry isn’t always a fun thing, but it was a good day for baseball.”
Haviland, Whitcomb and Smith earned bragging rights with a 7-2 win and a 5-2 win in front of a very balanced crowd with plenty of supporters of each side in attendance.
“Those were good games for the fans to watch,” Riebel said. “The only difference was that they hit a few more holes than we did.”
In game one, Iola’s Derek Bycroft made his first start on the mound this season. Bycroft has hardly pitched after he started the Mustangs’ playoff game against Wichita-Trinity Academy over two weeks ago.
The sophomore got off to a good start with two shutout innings. He was aided by Splane fielding a ground ball up the middle and stepping on second before throwing to first to turn an inning-ending double-play in the second frame.
“Derek did a good job with his location,” Riebel said. “He definitely kept them off- balance so that was a big benefit.”
Chanute finally broke through against Bycroft by scoring two runs in the third and one in the fourth.
Post 15 pulled Bycroft after the fourth and inserted Splane. Chanute scored two runs in the fifth.
The Indians rallied with two runs in the home-half of the fifth when Kane Rogers and Tucker Fosha each drew a bases-loaded walk.
Chanute got both runs back in the sixth when a shallow fly ball to center field was lost in the lights and fell. That play helped Chanute score two runs to provide the final 7-2 margin.
It looked like Ethan Tavarez’s night would not last long when Chanute jumped on the junior right-hander with three runs in the first inning of game two and he allowed two triples, including one by Haviland.
Tavarez quickly settled down though and finished four innings without allowing another run.
“Ethan did a good job sticking in it,” Riebel said.
