The sun and the heat were unforgiving Saturday morning and afternoon as the Post 15 Indians slogged their way to a split on the final day of the Fort Scott tournament at the LaRoche Baseball Complex.
The Indians fell in a rematch to the Kansas Indians of Fort Scott 3-1 (they lost 7-0 on Friday) before beating the Central Missouri Phenom 14-5 in six innings.
The games move the Indians to a 14-4 record.
Everything that normally comes easy didnt come hardly at all in Iolas first game.
Hits were few and far between with Iola grabbing four total by games end.
Starter Derek Bycroft had an uncharacteristically rocky start, allowing two Kansas Indian runs in the first inning. Bycroft got himself back in it and only allowed just one more run while striking out six.
It seems weird when (By-croft) gives up that many runs because we expect so much out of him, head coach Levi Ashmore said. But he settled in and competed for us. We should be able to overcome three runs and win a baseball game.
Jackson Aikins scored Io-las lone run on a single in the second that brought home Daylon Splane from third.
extra-base hit. Were competing enough to stay in games but we need more.
More was exactly what they got in the second game. More hitting, more runs and more heat.
Things looked unchanged through three innings as neither teams scored, but the Indians opened it up with four runs in the fourth. Central Missouri responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning and another two in the fifth to take the lead.
Iola retook the lead once again in the sixth with a 10-run barrage that put the Indians up 14-5. After a scoreless bottom of the sixth thanks to closer Nate Berry who relieved
Two innings later, the Indians had a perfect opportunity to take the lead and do some damage. In the top of the fourth, Iola loaded the bases with two outs and with the top of the order coming up, but Isaac Vink popped out to end the threat.
Kane Rogers had a single, Cal Leonard had a single, Aikins had a single and Blake Ash-more had a single.
Fort Scott is one of the better teams that weve faced all year but with the wind blowing out, we only scored one run against them, Ash-more said. It shouldve been a more offensive oriented day but in the two games that Ive been able to be at this weekend, weve had one starter Cal Leonard, the game was over.
I think they just came out and had fun, Ashmore said. It took awhile but they got there. One thing I notice with this group is that they score in bunches. It all goes back to adversity. When its tough for us, we struggle but when its not we can be pretty good.
Vink had a single, Splane had a single, Bycroft has a single, Ashmore had a single, Conor Haviland had a single and Casen Barker singled twice.
Iola will take the week off before wrapping up the regular season at Yates Center on July 9.
