BALDWIN — Iola American Legion Post 15’s AA Indians sailed through their first three games of the 2011 Kansas Amateur Baseball Association (KABA) League Tournament. They run-ruled Chanute and Baldwin with 10-0 decisions on Thursday.
The Indians pushed past Ottawa 15-5 Friday to reach the championship game. Then they had to wait.
Ottawa picked up steam in the losers bracket final Saturday afternoon with a 15-1 win over Paola. So, it was back to Iola and Ottawa for the championship Saturday night.
Ottawa, going after its third consecutive KABA tournament title, had to beat the Indians twice for that goal. It did just that.
The Indians came up short 8-1 in the first game Saturday, to force a second and deciding game for the championship.
Iola was up 2-0 in the second game after the first inning. Levi Ashmore singled and Dalton Smith reached on a fielder’s choice and an error. Jerrik Sigg drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Corey Taylor drew a walk. Ryan Latta hit an RBI single.
Iola stayed in front until the sixth when Ottawa scored twice. The teams went into extra innings tied at 2-2. Ottawa used a grand slam in the 11th to take a 6-2 lead, which stood up for the final margin.
Iola stranded eight runners in the game, including two each in the ninth and 10th innings. Ashmore, Sigg and Mason Coons pitched for Iola. They allowed 10 hits, walked 10 and there were two hit batters.
“We just stopped hitting the ball in the last two games,” said Mike Taylor, AA Indians head coach. “We played well defensively the whole tournament.”
Iola had five base hits in the game, one each by Ashmore, Smith, R. Latta, Clint Heffern and Drew Walden.
Iola (29-11) opens Kansas American Legion AA Zone 3 play Tuesday at Garnett. The Indians play Burlington at 6 p.m. The tournament starts tonight with games every night, concluding with the championship game at noon Sunday.
The winner of the zone tournament advances to the 2011 Kansas American Legion AA state tournament July 26-29 at Ottawa.
Here are summaries of the other KABA tournament games played by Iola:
Championship — first game, Ottawa 8, Iola 1. LP — Ethan Ericson, 7 hits, 6 walks, 4 hit batters, 6 strikeouts. Iola scored its run in the third with one out. Ashmore singled and Smith doubled. Smith also had a single in the game. Walden doubled.
Thursday’s games
Iola 10, Chanute 0 (4 innings). WP — Ashmore, 2 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts. Ryan Latta had a single and a double. Ashmore and Coons each had two singles. Smith doubled. Walden, Heffern and Kris Collins each had a single.
Iola 10, Baldwin 0 (4 innings). WP — Smith, 2 hits, 3 walks, 1 hit batter. Ashmore and Ryan Latta each had two singles. Hitting a single each were Smith, Sigg, Heffern, Coons and Collins.
Friday’s Game
Iola 15, Ottawa 5 (5 innings). WP — Sigg, 9 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts. Iola trailed 5-3 after two innings. The Indians scored five runs in the fourth, highlighted by a three-run home run by Ashmore. Iola scored six more runs in the fifth.
Smith and Coons each had two singles and a double. Ashmore added a double to his home run. Sigg and Walden each hit a single and a double. Ryan Latta and Jarred Latta had two base hits apiece. Taylor and Heffern had a single each.
AA Indians finish second in KABA tourney
