BALDWIN — Just call them the comeback kids.
Iola American Legion Post 15’s AA Indians had to win five consecutive games over two days. They had dropped into the losers bracket Thursday night and had their work cut out for them in the 2012 Kansas Amateur Baseball Association (KABA) Senior Division League Tournament.
They did it, starting with a 10-5 win over Baldwin, the host team, Friday afternoon. The Indians got past Wellsville 10-2 on Friday night.
Earlier on Friday, Osawatomie upended Ottawa 6-3 in the winners bracket. Osawatomie had defeated Iola 9-7 Thursday and awaited the losers bracket winner in Saturday’s championship game.
Iola AA battled Ottawa in the losers bracket final Saturday afternoon. With Jerrik Sigg on the mound for Iola, the Indians broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the fifth. They added three more in the sixth inning and held on for a 5-2 victory.
Onto the championship game or games for the Indians. To win their first-ever KABA tournament championship, the Indians would have to beat Osawatomie twice.
They did that.
They rolled to a 7-0 lead in the first game. Iola won 10-7 with Levi Ashmore going the distance on the mound.
Mason Coons got the start in the final game Saturday night. Coons held Osawatomie to six hits and walked three. He struck out one in Iola’s 11-3 win.
Iola AA (33-3) now turns its focus to this week’s Kansas American Legion AA Zone 2 tournament. Ottawa is hosting the double-elimination tournament and other teams competing are Osawatomie, Garnett, Burlington, Fort Scott and Baxter Springs.
The AA Indians will play at 6 p.m. Tuesday against the winner of the Osawatomie-Fort Scott contest. A full bracket was not available to the Register at press time.
Iola AA is going after a second straight trip to the Kansas American Legion AA State Tournament. The 2012 state tournament is Aug. 1-5 in Sabetha.
At Baldwin over the weekend:
Championship game No. 2
Iola led Osawatomie 6-1 after three innings. Iola scored five runs in the fourth to seal the victory. Corey Taylor hit a double and single for Iola. Ashmore and Clint Heffern each had two singles. Hitting a single each were Sigg, Drew Walden and Coons.
