CHANUTE — Post 15 entered Tuesday night’s second game in Chanute with an 0-3 record this season. Chanute had outscored Iola 23-7 in the first three games.
“Chanute is a Triple-A team so they pull from a bigger pool of kids than we do,” Iola coach Rick Vink said.
Iola desperately needed someone to step up and give them confidence against its rival. They found that person in the form of Isaac Vink.
The Indians started Vink after he had just returned from a family vacation. The rest seemed to do him good.
“I had a nice week off while we were in Colorado, so I felt good. My curveball was working really well,” Vink said.
Vink threw all five innings of the second game and allowed only two earned runs in the 8-4 victory. He allowed just seven hits and struck out four while giving up no walks.
Vink’s night didn’t start out all that well. He allowed a two-hit RBI single in the first inning.
The Iola High junior then buckled down and allowed that run though and only allowed one more run over the next three innings.
The Iola offense got on the board in the third inning with three runs. Kane Rogers and Ethan Tavarez each had RBIs in the frame, but it was nine-hitter Justice Pugh that came up with the biggest hit of the inning.
The Marmaton Valley senior lined a double to left field and scampered to second base while Rogers scored.
“Justice is a kid who is coming around for us,” Coach Vink said. “He came through with a big hit for us. Justice is a great kid and he has been great for us by playing multiple positions and now he is starting to hit the ball. I am very proud of him.”
Iola held that lead going into the fifth inning at 3-2 and despite Vink pitching well, the Indians aimed to get insurance runs before the bottom of the fifth.
Vink helped himself with a clutch three-run double to push the lead to 6-2.
“Isaac came up and delivered that three-run double to break the game open,” Rick Vink said. “Isaac was pretty pumped up for the Chanute game.”
Ethan Sigg and Rogers each had RBIs to drive the margin to 8-2.
“That was big because they scored two in that last inning,” Vink said. “So it was big to get those runs.”
