Iola High’s junior varsity baseball doubleheader was a study in contrasts Thursday.
The Mustangs overcame an early 7-0 deficit without taking the bat off their shoulders in the first game of their doubleheader with visiting Anderson County.
Iola emerged with a 24-14 victory.
The second game was another story.
Anderson County’s pitchers took advantage of the umpire’s ample strike zone to shut out the Mustangs, 7-0.
In the opener, Iola’s first 11 batters reached base via the walk. The first hit of the inning came when Alex Bauer slammed a bases-clearing double to give Iola an 11-7 lead.
Iola scored 14 runs in the inning, while collecting only two hits in the process.
The Mustangs added three in the second, four in the third and three more in the bottom of the fourth before the game ended via the 10-run rule.
Thealvin Minor and Kohl Endicott pitched, giving up seven hits and five walks.
Bauer had two singles and a double, Ethan Sigg rapped out three singles and Brice Aiello singled twice. Also adding singles were Brock Peters, Minor, Brett Taylor and Wyatt Hines.
Bauer’s two-out single in the first inning was Iola’s only tally in the second game.
The Bulldogs scored three in the first and four in the second to win game two.
Bauer started the second game, allowing four hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Peters came on in relief, holding Anderson County hitless over 1 1/2 innings with three strikeouts.
IHS JV team splits
