HUMBOLDT — With two losses against Pittsburg Post 64 earlier this season, the A Iola Indians were hoping those two wrongs would turn into a right on Tuesday night at the Humboldt Sports Complex.
After a grueling tournament in Ottawa over the weekend and a nine-inning game in Richmond Monday night, the Indians were put to the test.
The Indians were able to muster a split with Pittsburg, with Nathan Louk coming in clutch for a walk-off single in the 10th inning of game 1. Iola was unable to garner that same magic in game 2, losing 5-3.
Head coach John Taylor planned on winning both games, but after 10-0 and 12-5 losses to Post 64 back on June 6, it is safe to say he and the rest of the Indians are pleased. After all, you can only do so much with the amount of pitching available.
“We played all weekend, and last night, so we were really out of pitching,” Taylor said. “The second game was kind of a practice, and we had a young guy who we wanted to let throw because he might be on the team next year.”
Trevor Church was key for the Indians in game 1. Church earned the start on the mound, pitching 5 2/3 innings of the 10-inning contest. Church was able to help the Indians hold a 1-0 lead off an early error until the tying run in the fifth.
The Indians retook the lead in the bottom half off an RBI from Drake DeLaTorre, but Post 64 rallied for two runs against Church in the sixth before his day was done. Church finished with 10 strikeouts, allowing three hits, two walks, and showed up at the plate with two singles.
Taylor had high praise for his ace, who also displayed his ability with the bat.
“One of the things I’ve been talking to him about is letting him hit and pitch in the same game, because he gets frustrated with his hitting and it sometimes carries over to his pitching,” Taylor said. “He hit well last night when he wasn’t pitching, so I told him he was going to hit tonight while he is pitching. He came through big.”
With Iola down to their last three outs, DeLaTorre collected his second RBI of the day to force extra innings with the score tied at 3-3.
Louk relieved Church, tossing a hitless 4 1/3 innings along with five strikeouts before taking matters into his own hands in the 10th. Louk delivered with a walk-off RBI single to score DeLaTorre and give Iola the dramatic victory.
“Nathan came in from the start and dominated with his pitching,” Taylor said. “He had been struggling to hit the ball a little bit, but he came through big in the end.”
