A 14-strikeout performance by Iola senior Grady Dougherty and a trio of homeruns by junior catcher Tre Wilson highlighted the Iola Mustangs’ 5-3, 12-8 sweep of the Anderson County Bulldogs.
Only Osawatomie and Wellsville now stand in the way of an Iola Mustangs’ Pioneer League championship.
“It doesn’t get any easier from here, but it feels good to be at 10-0,” Iola coach Levi Ashmore said.
Wilson set the tone early in the first inning with a homer in his first at-bat. Wilson and senior outfielder Lucas Maier share the lead with two RBIs apiece.
While Wilson had scene-stealing homers, Maier made his contributions with a third-inning, two-RBI line drive. RBI doubles by junior outfielder Jace Herrmann and Wilson pushed ola’s lead to 5-2.
The Bulldogs cut Iola’s lead by a run in the fifth.
With Dougherty allowing only one walk, one earned run and still well under 90 pitches, Ashmore left his senior on the mound. Dougherty did not disappoint — forcing two flyouts before ending the game with a 14th strikeout.
With at least a share of the Pioneer League title on the line, Anderson County threw caution to the wind as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the finale.
After hitting his first home run right-handed, Wilson took his first at-bat of the finale left handed, and sent the ensuing pitch over the right-center fence to tie the game.
“I’ve been switch hitting for quite a while but I started doing it (regularly) this year,” Wilson said. “I’ve been practicing a lot and doing (hitting) tee work. I’m trying to keep everything up the middle and everything is going my way right now.”
Iola took the lead in the third inning, when freshman outfielder Kale Pratt drove in the first of his team-leading three RBIs on an RBI single.
A fourth-inning Dougherty RBI double was the final lead change of the night. Iola distanced itself with RBIs from junior second baseman Nick Bauer, senior outfielder Ethan Weseloh and Pratt.
Switching from catcher to closer, Wilson secured the sweep with a strikeout and a forced pop fly.
With the win, the Mustangs improved to 10-0 and will put their undefeated record on the line Friday when they step up a class to take on 4A Paola, whose record stands at 11-1.
A tight contest is promised.
First pitches for Friday’s doubleheader are 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
