CHANUTE — The Post 15 Indians were finally going to have their first true test of the season and a chance to show off the strength of their team.
And then the rain rolled in.
In their first tournament of the year — the Paul Lindblad Tournament in Chanute — the Indians were set up to throw ace pitchers Derek Bycroft, Daylon Splane and Ben Cooper in the three bracket-play games on Sunday.
“We got those guys some work on Friday,” Iola coach Rick Vink said. “We wanted them to knock off some rust on Friday and have them available for Sunday’s single-elimination round, but it didn’t turn out that way because of the rain.”
Saturday night and Sunday morning’s storms have postponed that test until another tournament as bracket-play was cancelled.
Before the tournament, teams participated in pool-play on Friday and Saturday.
Friday gave the opportunity for Lance Daniels and Splane to face many of their teammates from Humboldt as the Indians faced off with Neosho County.
It was a multiple-day endeavour for Splane to convince Vink to allow him start on the mound.
“He was lobbying really hard for several days,” Vink explained. “I knew that he doesn’t get that opportunity very much so we wanted to give him a couple innings, but keep him under 45 pitches so he could come back on Sunday if we would have played.”
Vink was rewarded when he relented to Splane’s persistence as the former Cub dominated his former teammates over three innings.
Splane was perfect over those innings without a hit or walk allowed and five strikeouts. It also only took the Second-Team All-State selection 33 pitches to get through those nine outs.
“He did a great job and I think both sides had a lot of fun with that,” Vink said.
While Splane dominated on the mound, Daniels led the Iola offense.
Daniels’ hit to right field scored three runs in the third inning to extend the lead to 4-0 and he scored on Ethan Tavarez’s single to push the lead to 5-0.
Neosho County scored an unearned run in the fourth inning when the Indians unleashed their second All-State pitcher of the day with Cooper taking the mound.
Iola came right back with in the fifth inning when a Daniels’ triple scored Blake Ashmore and Bycroft and the lead grew to 7-1.
“Lance had a heck of a game,” Vink said. “He hit that triple to dead-center field that one-hopped the 375-foot mark. Any other ballpark that we play in, that is a home run.”
Daniels finished the game 3-for-3 with seven RBIs. Tavarez was 3-for-3 and Ashmore was also 2-for-2.
“Lance is a kid, who like a lot of our players didn’t hit the way he is capable of in the high school season,” Vink said. “He has been on fire for us though. He is a good kid who is just as good defensively as he is offensively. He is a fun kid to coach.”
The Indians ended the game six-run sixth inning to run-rule Neosho County 13-1.
Bycroft closed the game with a 1-2-3 sixth inning in his first pitching performance of the American Legion season.
SATURDAY
Iola faced two-time defending state champions Ottawa in their second pool-play game on Saturday.
Ottawa was able to pick up a 21-9 win in the six-inning game.
Vink held out Bycroft, Splane and Cooper from pitching, in order to save them for bracket-play on Sunday.
The Indians sent Cal Leonard to the mound, who has been strong out of the bullpen for both the Mustangs and Indians this season.
“Cal wasn’t going to be available Sunday because he was going to be out of town,” Vink said. “He’s been throwing really well for us in relief.”
Leonard battle through his 2 2/3 innings pitched, but his defense didn’t help him much with the Mustangs finishing with eight errors.
“Cal did a good job for us,” Vink said. “We just didn’t play much defense behind him.”
Leonard allowed 11 runs, but only three of those were earned on six hits with three walks.
The poor defense and a tight strike zone continued to make it difficult for the entire Indian pitching staff.
Tavarez replaced Leonard and gave up three runs was he recorded four outs to get the team through the fourth inning.
Kane Rogers finished the game by pitching the final two innings. Rogers gave up seven runs — five earned — on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
Leonard was the top hitter for the Indians as he went two-for-two with a pair of runs scored. Isaac Vink also had two hits.
UP NEXT
Iola has added a doubleheader to the schedule tonight. They will host Yates Center for two games at Riverside Park at 6 p.m.
Bycroft will likely receive his first start of the season tonight after resting his arm through the first part of the year.
“He is ready to go,” Vink said. “He would have been ready to go on Sunday. He will probably throw and we will move him along slow, but at the same time, we want him ready for zone and state.”
