WAHPETON, N.D. — It was not the ending they wanted but Iola American Legion Post 15’s AA Indians saw their state championship season come to an end Friday evening.
The 2012 Kansas American Legion AA champions lost twice on Friday, losing out at the 2012 American Legion Central Plains Division 2 Regional Tournament. Iola dropped a 9-6 decision to Ely, Minn., in the winners bracket Friday afternoon.
On Friday evening, the AA Indians just couldn’t come up with a timely hit and lost 2-1 to Wisconsin Dells, Wis., in an elimination game. The Indians ended the 2012 season at 41-6.
They won the Kansas Amateur Baseball Association (KABA) South for the second year in a row. They won the KABA tournament championship then followed it up with a Kansas American Legion Zone 3 championship.
The Iola AA Indians captured the second-ever state championship for Iola American Legion Leslie J. Campbell Post 15. Iola won a state AA championship in 1988. A team from Iola has been in the AA state tournament in 1983, 1984, 1988, 1990, 2007, 2011 and 2012. Iola finished second in 1984 and 1990.
In the game with Wisconsin Dells, Iola gave up a run in the first inning on an error, a walk and fielder’s choice. Iola tied the game up in the third inning.
With one gone, Levi Ashmore walked but was caught stealing second base. Clint Heffern opened a two-out rally with a base hit and Jerrik Sigg followed with a single. Heffern stole third base.
Sigg took off for second base and on the throw, Heffern scored. Sigg was tagged out at second.
Wisconsin Dells scored the go-ahead run in the fourth. A hit batter with one gone and two singles produced the run. Iola had two on with no one out in the top of the seventh but a double play and a fly ball ended the threat and the game.
Heffern had two singles in the game. Hitting a single each were Dalton Smith, Mason Coons, Sigg, Drew Walden and Corey Taylor.
Smith was the losing pitcher. He gave up two hits, walked five, hit two batters and struck out three.
