Broncos halt Mustang regional title bid

SPRING HILL — Spring Hill High’s Broncos are quickly becoming Iola High Mustangs’ regional nemesis.
For the second straight year, the Broncos ousted the Mustangs from Kansas Class 4A Regional Baseball Tournament contention in a semifinal contest. The Mustangs weren’t able to kick-start their offense in Tuesday’s 5-0 semifinal loss to the Broncos on Spring Hill’s home field.
A year ago the Broncos edged the Mustangs 4-3 on the Allen County Community College field in Iola. Again it came in semifinal play.
Spring Hill, which hosted this year’s regional tournament, defended its regional championship later Tuesday. The Broncos defeated Fort Scott 7-4 in the title game.
Fort Scott beat Prairie View 4-3 in the early semifinal game Tuesday.
“We had a great season. And the guys worked hard all season,” said Mark Percy, Mustang head coach.
The Mustangs posted their best season in the program’s seven-year history. They finished 17-5.
Iola, which had no seniors on the team, was predicted to end up seventh in the Southeast Kansas League. The Mustangs played for the SEK championship last week in their final doubleheader, losing two to Pittsburg.
Iola ended up 12-4 and third behind co-champions Pittsburg and Columbus, both at 13-3.
“It is disappointing. Not the loss, though I don’t like to lose, it is the way we lost. Yes, I am the coach of the Iola team and I know Spring Hill is a good team and Pittsburg is a good team. But I also know that we are a better team than what we showed today and last week against Pittsburg.”
Percy said the Mustangs did not play up to their potential in Tuesday’s game. He pointed to several plays in the outfield, a high pitch that Spring Hill was able to use for a two-run double in the second.
“We need to get to a couple of the balls we let drop in the outfield. Our pitcher and catcher have to be smarter about pitch selection,” Percy said.
“Then we don’t hit the ball well enough today. We’d get guys on base then not come up with the big hit or get picked off. We’re smarter and better as a team than that.”
Derek Bybee doubled to center field to lead off the second inning for Spring Hill, which was the visiting team in the game. Iola was the higher seeded team in the tournament.
Iola starter Jerrik Sigg issued a walk in between two outs. Brady Donahue ripped a double to left center field to drive in two runs for the Broncos.
Down 2-0, the Mustangs finally broke through with a hit in the bottom of the third inning. With two gone, Jarred Latta doubled for the first hit off Spring Hill’s Zachary Pickett.
Levi Ashmore drew a walk. Clint Heffern drove a Pickett pitch deep to right field but the Bronco fielder caught the ball to retire the Mustangs.
And that’s how it went for the Mustangs Tuesday.
While Sigg and the Mustang defense worked out of several jams over the next few innings, the Mustang offense never got started. Spring Hill stranded 12 base runners in the game.
In the fourth, Corey Taylor walked with one out and Larson hit a single to center field. Mason Coons had a pop-up and Drew Walden hit one deep to right but directly to the Bronco fielder.
Devin Conner led off the fifth with a sharp single through the hole between third and shortstop. Conner was picked off first by a throw from Bronco catcher Bradley Smith. The next two Iola batters struck out and grounded out.
Sigg left the game in the top of the sixth with one out after issuing two walks. Levi Ashmore came on in relief and the Mustangs worked out of it without giving up runs.
In the bottom of the sixth, Heffern and Sigg opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Taylor hit into a fielder’s choice, Larson struck out and Coons hit into a force out.
With one gone in the seventh, Bybee and Dalton Rudy had singles for Spring Hill. Robert Sharemet had a pinch-hit single to drive in two runs. Sharemet ended up at third when the ball got past Iola in the outfield.
Miles Updike put down a squeeze bunt and Sharemet scored. That put the Broncos up 5-0.
Iola’s season came to an end on three consecutive ground balls in the infield.
“We didn’t come ready to play today. Maybe some of that is my fault but I knew we weren’t ready when we took in-and-out before the game,” Percy said.
“I’m a real competitive person and I plan to come back here, or wherever the regional is next year, and get the job done. I  hope our kids feel the same way.
“We have a good enough team to win the SEK and a regional championship. I’m challenging our guys to work hard in the off-season to bet a little better.”
On Tuesday, the Mustangs had five hits in the game. Latta doubled and Heffern, Sigg, Larson and Conner each had a single.
Sigg went 61⁄3 innings on the mound, giving up two runs on six hits and eight walks. He struck one out.
Ashmore worked 12⁄3 innings.  He allowed three runs on four hits and one strikeout.